


How To Keep Warm In Winter

by WingIt



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Age Difference, Alpha Dean, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bodyguard Dean, M/M, Omega Castiel, Prince Castiel, Romance, Secret Relationship, Servant Dean, Underage - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-20
Updated: 2017-01-05
Packaged: 2018-05-07 19:31:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 117,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5468336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WingIt/pseuds/WingIt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prince Castiel is a lonely omega with a head full of ambitions and a life full of restrictions. In the hopes of making a friend, Castiel hires Dean Winchester as his personal protector.</p><p>Castiel and Dean share a strong connection from the very beginning. Castiel isn't sure he has the strength to ignore it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The summer is sweltering this year, and whilst the cosmos in the flower garden are happy, Castiel is not. He does not cope well in the heat, and it makes him grouchy. He tips his head back and sighs with the weight of the world on his young shoulders. The three knights, two squires and two maids who are guarding him all turn their attention to him at the sound as though they may all rush to fuss over him at the same time. The glower on Castiel’s face seems to stop them.

Hmm. Perhaps it is not just the heat that’s making him grouchy.

Personally, Castiel doesn’t consider himself to be any different to his older brothers Michael and Gabriel; they’re all equal parts fiery and strong-willed, with bold ideas about the world and the impression they want to leave on it. Michael and Gabriel are off somewhere Castiel isn’t sure of, putting these ideas into practice and yet here Castiel is, with nothing to do but sit here trapped by a herd of servants all watching his every move.

The life of an omega is a dull life indeed.

Castiel stands up from where he’d been resting on the grass – mere metres from the castle of course, God forbid he is able to leave the grounds – and heads back inside as his herd trots after him. Castiel rolls his eyes but does no more than that. He tries not to be rude to the servants since it’s not their fault they have to do this all the time. Instead, he just stays quiet around them.

X

Castiel’s father, the King of Aelam, pays him a visit later that evening.

“Hello, precious,” the tired King greets him along with a kiss to the top of his head.

“Hi, Daddy,” Castiel smiles. He’s feeling better than he did earlier; the sunset took most of the heat with it so Castiel has been able to comfortably enjoy his new book for the last hour or two. An added bonus is that his herd thins at this time of day due to their other responsibilities. The maids leave to help in the kitchen or do the washing, and all the knights but one and his squire head off to guard the gates. It’s less stifling with only two of them here.

“Uriel is a piece of work sometimes, I tell you,” Castiel’s father says as he settles down on the couch next to his omega son.

Castiel doesn’t even bother to look up from his book. “Normally I’d ask why, but I’m sure I can imagine what kind of nonsense he’s been coming out with.”

Uriel is one of six members of Aelam’s council, which also includes Raphael who is usually just as exhausting as Uriel, Bartholomew, Naomi, Gadreel and the King. Michael and Gabriel tend to participate in council meetings and discussions whenever they are here too, and even Castiel himself has been able to join in sometimes, mostly to fight for omega rights. Half the council does not hide their displeasure that such a young, lowly omega is allowed to debate with them but Castiel’s father, a supporter of Castiel’s beliefs, silences the council members fairly quickly.

Castiel’s father hums in agreement. “I don’t know how he manages it but he always finds a way to insult omegas, no matter what we’re talking about at the time.”

“I hope you came up with a scathing retort on my behalf since I wasn’t there to do the honours myself,” Castiel smirks.

“A simple ‘Shut up, Uriel’ usually does the trick.” Castiel chuckles as his father relaxes back against the cushions. He pulls Castiel’s feet onto his lap and trails a finger over Castiel’s ankle as he says, “So, did you have a nice day? I hope you made good use of the sunshine.”

Castiel’s mood immediately sours. He just responds with a grunt.

His father frowns. “What?”

“You try having a nice day when you’re constantly stifled by people yet at the same time you have absolutely no one to talk to.”

Castiel’s father sighs. This is an argument the two of them have had many times before. “Castiel, you can’t not have servants with you.”

“Why not?”

“You know why.”

“I thought you were all for omegas having independence.”

“I am, but you’re not just a regular omega, are you? Male omegas are rare enough; can you imagine how people feel about a male omega _prince_? If something happened to you I could never forgive myself for not protecting you well enough.”

Of course Castiel understands that, but it’s frustrating that since his father is the most powerful alpha in Aelam, he just can’t see from Castiel’s point of view. “I know, but there’s a difference between protecting me and suffocating me.”

Castiel’s father raises an eyebrow. “Don’t you think you’re being a little melodramatic?”

“I’m not being _melodramatic_. I’ve had to put up with the servants my whole life and now I feel like I’m ready to really start growing up and doing something productive with my time but nobody will let me go anywhere. I can’t even leave the castle for heaven’s sake! Do you have any idea how lonely it is here?”

"I know, but –”

Castiel cuts him off. “And what’s worse is that I’ve had to watch Michael and Gabriel be able to do whatever they want. They’re royalty too, so why are things so different for me?”

Castiel’s father is quiet for a few moments. He looks sympathetic, he really does, but Castiel finds the pity hard to stomach knowing full well his father won’t change his mind. “Castiel, sweetheart, you and I both know that you are just as strong, just as clever, just as brave as Michael and Gabriel are. But the people don’t. Michael could walk through one of the villages without so much as horse to accompany him and the people would still bow down to him and do whatever he said because he’s an alpha, and probably even Gabriel could manage that as well; any power that he loses because of him being a beta is made up for by his title. But I dread to think what sort of things could happen if _you_ did that. So many people would just assume you’re weak and try something with you because of it. It’s just the way the world is right now; I know we’re fighting for omegas but it takes a lot of work to undo hundreds of years of prejudice. It’s not going to happen overnight.”

“I know,” Castiel says quietly. He fiddles with the corner of the page he was reading and tries not to feel miserable. He already knew that independence is just not on the cards for him, not yet, anyway, but it still stings when someone puts it into words so bluntly like his father just did.

“I’m sorry.”

Castiel focuses on the reassuring sweep of his father’s thumb against his leg for a moment. It manages to calm him down somewhat, and he’s about to return to his book when an idea suddenly occurs to him.

“Daddy?”

“Hm?”

“If I have to have guards with me all the time, why don’t you just hire one person whose only job is to protect me? I seem to have a different set of guards with me every day, most of them I don’t even recognise, so it would be nice if I had someone with me who I could actually befriend.”

Castiel’s father doesn’t look too convinced. “Just one guard?”

“Yeah. Most of my guards leave me at some points in the day anyway because they have other things to do, but wouldn’t it be better if I had someone who didn’t have to juggle other responsibilities at the same time? They’d probably do a better job at protecting me if they had nothing else to think about.” Castiel quickly turns to the knight and squire still within ear shot. “No offence.”

“None taken, your Highness,” the guard replies.

Castiel’s father looks as though he’s pondering it. “They’d have to be an exceptional protector to replace what you’re already given.”

“You could host some trials maybe? We could let people all across the land apply, not just the knights we already have.”

His father hums thoughtfully. Castiel begins to feel hopeful. Perhaps just one more push is needed to convince his father.

Castiel puts on the most innocent, heart-breaking expression he can muster and says sadly, “Maybe if I had just one friend, I wouldn’t feel quite so lonely.”

It works. His father’s face crumples and he coos, “Oh honey, alright. I want you to be safe but I don’t want you to be lonely because of it. I’ll start organising some trials tomorrow, okay?”

Castiel smiles. “Okay. Can I watch the trials too?”

“Of course you can. It’ll be your protector we’re looking for after all. But hey, let’s make a deal; if we can’t find someone good enough, we’ll have to go back to the way things are now, at least until we find another alternative.”

“That sounds fair.”

“Good. I’m quite interested to know who we might find.”

X

True to his word, the next day Castiel’s father sets a few of the council assistants onto the task of organising trials to find a new protector for Aelam’s only omega prince. Applications are handed in by the hundred and the castle receives enough references and recommendations to hire dozens of the kingdom’s most skilled men. Castiel is surprised by all the response. He wouldn’t have thought the potentially dull task of monitoring a prince would be so sought after. It makes him happy though; with all of the interest in the position, surely there must be at least one person who is completely right for the job?

Castiel’s father allows a week for people to apply before he makes the announcement that letters have been sent to those who have been awarded the chance to participate in the trials, and no further applications will be accepted.

When the candidates have been notified and the venue and date of the trials have been set, there’s nothing for everyone to do but wait for that day to arrive.

Castiel sits at his father’s large, wooden desk with him and leafs through some of the references which had been sent directly to the council for specific candidates to watch; those with special skills and higher likeability to be chosen for the position. Castiel reads the references with raised eyebrows. They all look very impressive.

“I honestly cannot believe how many people have applied,” Castiel can’t help saying to his father.

His father is busily writing but he still replies. “I know. We’ve only accepted maybe a tenth of the applications at most. Though it did take a long time to filter out those who’d clearly only applied to get a good look at the omega prince during trials. Apparently a lot of people thought their complete lack of experience in any kind of combat or physical activity for that matter just wouldn’t be an issue.”

“Some people will try anything, I suppose. That’s half the reason I wish I were allowed out the grounds more often, so when I do I’m not treated like an exhibit at the zoo. It’s like people have never seen an omega before.”

“I think it’s more to do with the fact that you’re also male, royal and rather beautiful. People like to stare.”

“Somehow the novelty of that wore off quite a long time ago.”

His father just snorts in amusement before changing the subject. “It’s not just how many people applied that amazed me, it’s _who_ , have you seen some of candidates? There’s some coming over from the next kingdom, a few guards of the royal family who live there who’d apparently be willing to give up their positions, even Naomi’s last guard who retired in the spring but said he’d take up work again for you.”

“Really, a retired guard? Wouldn’t he be a little old?”

“He’s not that old, and he was excellent at what he did, Naomi never had an issue whilst he was employed.” Castiel’s father pauses to dip his pen into the ink pot next to his paper. “Even Rufus, you know Rufus who handles my finances? He came to me with a special recommendation, a man he knew in his hometown, Lawrence. In the southern lands.”

“The southern lands? That’s at least five days travel by horse, isn’t it?”

“Around that, yes.”

“Wow. Someone’s travelling that far just to be a potential candidate for me?”

“Mhm. Impressive, isn’t it?”

“But you only gave the people a week to hand in applications. How did this person manage that in time?”

“Well, since Rufus spoke so highly of him I allowed him longer. Rufus is very trustworthy and he’s not usually so pushy; I’m quite intrigued to see this man for myself. Although I haven’t mentioned to the council that we’ve got someone from the southern lands visiting. I’m sure you can imagine the colourful language Raphael and Uriel will use.”

Castiel rolls his eyes. It’s almost laughable to him that such close-minded people still have the power to make decisions for the whole of their kingdom. “At least the expressions on their faces when they see the man will give us something to laugh at.”

“Very true. Nothing they say would make me stop a perfectly skilled person from trying out for the position. If the person is good enough to replace five guards at once and keep my son safe, I don’t give a damn where they come from.”

Castiel smiles and leans his head against his father’s shoulder. “Thank you for doing all this, Daddy. It really means a lot to me.”

His father puts his pen down to wrap an arm around Castiel’s shoulders. “Well, let’s see if we actually find somebody good enough first.”

“Surely we’ll find _someone_.”

“I’m not taking this lightly, you know. They’ve got to really stand out to me.”

“Here’s hoping then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Kudos and comments are very much appreciated.
> 
> In terms of the 'underage' tag - it's not very extreme. Castiel is sixteen which is the age of consent in a lot of countries (including where I live), and this story takes place in a time when there was no legal age so no characters deliberately break any rules.
> 
> [Link to my tumblr](http://wingit-spn.tumblr.com/)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trials are hosted to find a new protector for Aelam's omega prince.

As predicted, the day of the trials is hectic from the beginning. The trials will not take place inside the castle grounds for obvious reasons; only an idiot would invite half of the kingdom’s population into the royal family’s home and potentially put the Novaks at risk. Therefore a neutral location, a large field on the outskirts of Aelam, has been selected for the day’s events. The open space, flat ground and lack of wild animals make it a perfect place to host such an enormous amount of people.

The different location is one of the main reasons for the mayhem inside the castle. There are many resources which need to be transported to the field, including food for the day, furniture for the Novaks and the council, equipment and a small amount of (protected) weapons, speaking trumpets to make announcements with and of course, the horses and carriages. Castiel had gone down to the kitchen earlier to offer his help but he had been politely shooed away by Ellen, the head maid. Castiel really does not care about the fact that he may ‘dirty his clothes’ or ‘be wasting his precious time doing something as monotonous as packing’, which were two of the reasons he’d been given, but his own opinion is simply ignored. So for now, Castiel just sits at a window ledge and watches some of the carriages be filled with goods.

It takes half the morning to fill the carriages. When they are finally full, the Novaks are escorted down to the carriages and onto the horses. Michael and Gabriel have returned home to watch the trials as well which Castiel is thankful for because at least he will have some company with whom he can chat and joke with. Well, with Gabriel, anyway. Michael is a little more uptight.

Michael and Gabriel are riding their own personal horses down to the field, as well as their father who always has the biggest and strongest horse their stables have to offer. Castiel, however, does not have a personal horse. He has been asking for his own ever since he was young but he still has not been given one, much to his dismay. His father seems to think Castiel is at flight risk.

Michael, Gabriel and their father all mount their horses with practiced ease. Castiel moves to do the same, excited to ride after a few weeks of not having the opportunity, but he is startled at the feeling of large, gloved hands on his waist. He whips around to see one of the guards who will be accompanying them to the field, who has come forward to help lift Castiel onto the horse.

Now, Castiel prides himself on his patience with the servants and their constant babying of him, but this time, he can’t stop himself from snapping.

“Get your hands off me!” He defiantly pushes the guard’s hands away from him and squares his shoulders. “What, such a weak little omega can’t even get on a horse by himself? Is that what you think?”

The guard is completely flustered by Castiel’s anger, and his face fills with colour. “Of course not, your Highness, I merely thought –”

“You thought wrong. Leave me be.”

Gabriel, already comfortably seated on his horse next to Castiel’s, just laughs at the little exchange. “Oh Cassie, it’s good to see you’ve gotten even feistier since I was last home.”

Castiel pulls himself up onto his horse and shrugs at Gabriel. “I seem to find that it’s necessary to speak my mind sometimes.”

“Good, you should.”

Michael interjects from his own horse in front of Castiel’s. “But only occasionally of course, or you’ll begin to look like a dick.”

Castiel glares at the back of Michael’s head and then murmurs to Gabriel, “Yet when he gets mouthy, everyone thinks he’s eloquent. Typical alpha.”

Gabriel smirks. “I’m not feeling the heavy debates today, Cassie, I’ve just come out to watch some harmless duelling and help you find a new plaything.”

“I’m not looking for a _plaything_ , Gabe.”

“Yeah, sure, whatever you say. But Dad told me all this was your idea. A large field filled with strong men all fighting for the chance to protect you all day? I hope we’ve brought towels for you to sit on.”

Castiel’s naivety prevents him from understanding. “Why will I need towels?”

Gabriel throws his head back and laughs. “Because watching all these men is almost guaranteed to make you wet.”

Castiel can’t help a surprised scoff coming out of his mouth, and he finds himself glancing around to check nobody else heard Gabriel’s filthy remark. Only Gabriel can get away with making comments like that, except for maybe Castiel’s only and closest friend Balthazar, who has been away travelling since the beginning of spring.

“You really know how to mortify me, Gabriel,” Castiel says, trying to ignore his own hot cheeks.

“That’s what I do best, little brother.”

When the horses are mounted and the carriages set, it’s time to leave for the trials. A particular route has been planned in an attempt to draw as little attention to the royal family during their journey as possible, but with an event as large as this one, it’s very difficult to remain undetected. Crowds of villagers, many of them not even attending the trials as spectators, gather along the roads and call out excitedly to the Novaks as they pass, some going as far as throwing gifts and letters to them. Gabriel, of course, gathers as many presents as he can. It’s a well-known fact that the beta prince has a mild obsession with sweet foods, so the villagers hand it him by the bucket-load. Gabriel doesn’t ignore the letters either. When Castiel raises his eyebrow at him, Gabriel just smirks and says, “I can’t disappoint my adoring fans, Cassie!”

Castiel, however, remains as quiet and unassuming as he can. Whilst Gabriel and even Michael are shouting out to the villagers, reaching down to shake hands and blowing kisses, Castiel just smiles and gives the occasional little wave. His father twists around from where he is at the front of the party to subtly check on Castiel every now and then. After many years of being kept so guarded within the castle, Castiel often finds dealing with huge amounts of strangers like this to be rather daunting. He always denies this to his father when he is asked, but Castiel is secretly thankful that his father is aware of his anxieties and provides support.

But Castiel can cope when he’s safe up high on his horse and surrounded by his family and guards. He just wishes some of the male villagers would stop wolf-whistling at him.

The final stretch of the journey is upon them. Realistically, the field is not too far away from the castle but with how slowly they have had to move due to all of the villagers it has taken almost three times as long to get there. There is one last village to pass through, and when the Novak’s are through, guards will stay at the village gates to prevent any uninvited individuals from following. After that, all there is to do is follow the dirt trail up to their destination.

Castiel only allows himself to breathe a sigh of relief when the gates of the last village are in sight, feeling thankful that soon he will be away from all of the attention. The crowd has thinned a bit with many of the people starting to head home, which is why Castiel is startled to feel the brush of a hand against his leg. He looks down to see a man possibly around his father’s age, balancing a small child on his hip and holding up a single red rose with his free hand.

“For the most wonderful omega in the land. Thank you for fighting for my daughter and so many others,” is all the man says before handing Castiel the rose, both himself and the little girl, obviously an omega, wearing matching wide smiles.

Castiel accepts the rose with a smile of his own and replies, “Thank you. You’re very kind.”

His horse marches onward and the man and his daughter are left behind, yet Castiel’s smile remains. Those are the kind of villagers Castiel enjoys seeing; the ones who are gentle with him and actually treat him as a person instead of just something pretty to look at.

Once they reach the gates the crowd filters away very quickly, and there’s a beautiful sense of calm which sets over Castiel. He allows himself to take a deep breath and just enjoy the tranquil horse ride before the mayhem of the trials begins, and oh will it be mayhem.

X

The field is already booming. Spectators sit on the grass behind a sturdy line of guards, chatting animatedly and snacking on food they have brought from their own homes. To the right, there is a smaller crowd of what Castiel assumes to be the candidates, yet he is too far away to identify them properly. Castiel, Michael, Gabriel, the King and the council have been provided with chairs tall enough to require a ladder to make sure they are easily seen by the crowds and so that they will have an excellent view of the candidates when the trials begin. Castiel again refuses any help getting onto his chair from the guards, though he makes sure to be much more polite about it this time. He does not want to gain a bad reputation amongst the servants, as much as he finds them stifling.

After drinking a refreshing cup of water and then throwing the empty cup at Gabriel who had kept waving towels in his direction, Castiel is ready to begin the trials. _His_ trials, really. He is still finding it difficult to process that all of these people are in fact only here because of his idea.

It still takes a couple more minutes for Castiel’s father to gesture for his speaking trumpet which is safely waiting in the hands of the guard stood at the bottom of the tall, centre chair the King is residing for the afternoon. Yes, these are Castiel’s trials, but it’s only right that the King does all the talking. Normally Castiel would argue that an omega should be given the chance to address the people if he wants, but this time he doesn’t mind. The crowd is… a little large for his comfort.

The King brings the speaking trumpet to his lips and manages the silence the crowd with the first word he speaks; a skill surely only an alpha could possess. “People of Aelam, welcome! We’re so pleased you’re able to join us today to witness these trials. We’ve never hosted something quite like this before, but my beautiful son Castiel and I feel as though it’s time for a change in the way he’s looked after inside the castle. Today, we’re looking for just _one_ person who we think is able to protect our omega prince and keep him safe. It’s been decided that the responsibility should fall upon one select person, who can focus their attention solely on Prince Castiel. So, here’s how we expect the day to pan out. We have invited forty candidates to demonstrate their abilities and prove to us why they should be offered the position. We have a series of exercises for them to participate in and our princes, the esteemed council and I will be judging who we feel are the most skilled. These exercises will test strength, endurance and combat skills and none of them will be easy. We have high expectations today. After the exercises we shall narrow our candidates down to approximately five, where more personal interviews will take place afterwards. Now, let’s not waste any more time! Our candidates, please step forward and line yourselves up before us.”

The King pauses to allow the candidates to move into position. Castiel predicts that they are all alphas, perhaps with a beta or two added to the mix. Even with the distance between himself and the candidates, Castiel can tell how simply _large_ they all are – tall, broad and muscular. This is a good sign. The more powerful they are, the more experience they’ve clearly had. It’s much easier to see them when they move closer and Castiel scans the line eagerly. He’s so hopeful that one of these men will stand out to him, be someone Castiel could consider a _friend_. Despite how intimidating they all currently look in their armour.

There’s a snigger on Castiel’s left, so he turns to glare.

Gabriel just winks at him and says, “Put your tongue away, Cassie. I’ll give you a tip; when you start feeling frisky, just think of Michael in panties, okay?”

“We should have left you at home,” Castiel retorts.

When the candidates are still again, Castiel’s father raises his speaking trumpet once more.

“We’re going to begin with some simple, weapon-less combat. The aim of this exercise is to pin down your partner for three seconds. No foul play; that means no hits to the head or malicious punches. We do not want any serious injuries here today. Candidates, please pair up.”

Castiel has a sudden, underwhelming thought. He leans to Gabriel and says, “Most of these men are from our kingdom, aren’t they? Doesn’t that mean they’ll have all been trained in similar ways?”

“I suppose. So?”

“So aren’t they just going to combat in similar ways? That’ll become boring quite quickly.”

Gabriel doesn’t seem that fussed as he pops another hard candy into his mouth. “Combatting is combatting, Cassie. I doubt there would be much difference no matter where the men came from.”

Castiel isn’t convinced. The King blows the whistle to signal the start of the exercise, and the candidates begin to wrestle. As predicted, all of the candidates appear to be using the same strategies, the same sequences, being almost polite in their actions against each other. It’s like watching forty mirror images of the same pair. Castiel sighs. How is any one of these men going to stand out to him if they are all alike?

But Castiel’s boredom lasts no more than ten seconds. He startles when one of the candidates is all but tackled to the ground by a strapping, tanned man with sandy brown hair who makes short work of pinning his shocked opponent to the ground, rendering him immovable and pressing a finger to his throat. If he’d had a knife, the opponent would be dead quicker than Castiel could blink.

The surrounding candidates momentarily stop what they are doing to gawp at the beautifully bronzed man who is now standing back up with barely a smirk, clearly modest despite his own incredible abilities. It makes Castiel sit up straighter, his spirits immediately brightened.

He’s so busy staring at the man that he barely feels Gabriel nudging his side with his elbow.

“Check out the tiger over there, huh, Cassie?”

Gabriel’s amusement is obvious, but Castiel can’t bring himself to care. He just nods in a daze.

For the rest of the selection process, Castiel only has eyes for that man.

X

At the end of a long afternoon, the exhausted candidates line up for the final time and wait for the Novaks and the council to make a decision. They move down from their tall chairs to a circular table a little further away from the noise of the crowds to share their thoughts and discuss.

“We need to settle on five candidates,” the King begins. “I want to be able to speak with each of them to get some more information. So, thoughts?”

As predicted, Naomi opts for her retired guard. “I thought Paul performed excellently, as he normally does.”

Bartholomew agrees with Naomi, as usual. “Yes, I’d suggest Paul being one of our final five.”

‘Our’. Castiel rolls his eyes. Ironic that the council is allowed such a large input when they will not even be near Castiel’s new protector most of the time.

“I thought as much,” the King says. “I do agree his years of experience make him trustworthy. Castiel, did anyone stand out to you in particular?”

Castiel does not hesitate. He turns to point at the man he’s been watching all afternoon and says, “I want that one. The one with tanned skin.”

“Oh, you liked him?” his father says pleasantly. “That’s the one who Rufus recommended! The man from the southern lands.”

Raphael lets out a short laugh, though there is no humour behind it. “Oh, I’m sorry, did I hear that correctly? The southern lands?”

The King is nonchalant. “Problem, Raphael?”

“I was led to believe we were only interested in hiring people from our _own_ lands. I did not realise these trials would be a free for all.”

“He was highly recommended and clearly, he is very worthy of the position since he’s already left a good impression on Castiel.”

Uriel, obviously, supports Raphael and says to the King, “It’s rather amusing to me that you’d invite a _southerner_ into your home. Aren’t you worried for your children’s safety?”

Castiel speaks before his father has the chance to. “It’s rather amusing to _me_ that you think one of the most skilled candidates here should not be hired to protect me just because of the location of his hometown. Perhaps _you_ are not as worried for my safety as we thought, Uriel?”

Out of the corner of his eye, Castiel sees his father suppress a proud smirk. The King instead just reaches over and takes hold of Castiel’s hand on the table.

Uriel just subjects Castiel to a smile that does not reach his eyes. “My apologies, sweet little omega. I know you get overexcited when you’re allowed to sit with the adults.”

It’s a cheap shot from Uriel, but it irritates Castiel all the same. One thing he despises is being patronised.

“Let’s not forget that the only reason we’re all here today is to find a new guard for Cassie. His choice should be the most important,” Gabriel says smoothly. He’s not normally one for confrontation but he will always defend Castiel when he can.

“Yes, Gabriel,” Raphael interjects. “But please remember that the only reason the council is here is to weigh in on the decision and ensure that Castiel’s choice is a suitable one.”

“Explain to us again why Rufus’ recommendation would not be a suitable choice?” the King asks.

In previous centuries, the southern lands have been thought to be more ‘uncivilised’ than the north due to their increased likeability to be involved in fights and wars. Their towns and villages are generally still not as built-up as northern lands, particularly Aelam which has some of the largest castles and buildings for miles, but other than that, the southern lands have not been at war with anybody in a very long time. The wide gap between the north and south is slowly being bridged, though there are still close-minded individuals like Uriel and Raphael who are reluctant to forget history and live in the present.

“Where to start?” Uriel says. “Given the southerners’ history –”

“It’s rather counterproductive to live in the past, Uriel,” the King interrupts. “Please explain why someone from the south is not suitable in the present day?”

Uriel and Raphael seem to understand that their argument is going nowhere. Uriel lets out a long sigh to signal the end of his input, but Raphael can’t resist one more little comment. “Well. Be our guest then. Hire this foreigner and we will all just hope you don’t live to regret it.”

The King completely ignores Raphael and instead let’s go of Castiel’s hand to write down their shortlist so far. “So, we still have three more to decide. What are our thoughts?”

Castiel does not provide much more input into the discussion as everyone chooses the remaining three candidates. Truthfully, he hadn’t paid much attention to anybody besides Rufus’ recommendation so he cannot accurately comment on anyone else’s performance. He instead just decides to trust his father’s opinions and simply agrees with what he says.

When the five final candidates have been selected, the royals and the council return to their tall chairs before the candidates. The King’s announcement of the final five is met with applause from the spectators. When the excitement has died down the King moves on to explain the next stage.

“We will now carry out interviews with our chosen five. The rest of the candidates, you are welcome to stay as spectators but your services will not be required from now on. Thank you very much for participating today. We have kept your details if we have a further need for you in the future.”

The interviews are set up in a more intimate way, where the spectators cannot hear what is going on. The royals and the council are seated in a horseshoe shape, where they can all view the candidates when they come to stand before them. Castiel feels a little sorry for the candidates. It’s a very intimidating way of speaking to them, but Castiel supposes that the candidates need to be challenged in this way as this will identify who will cope well under pressure.

Once everyone is seated, the King calls for the first candidate to come forward. It’s a fairly pale man with an average height and build expected of an alpha. _Boring_ , Castiel notes.

And as the interview progresses, Castiel learns it is not just the man’s appearance that is boring.

There are a number of questions which the candidates must be asked, including their name, age, hometown and previous work experiences. The King asks all of these questions and leads the interview, but the others are allowed to pitch in and ask additional questions if needed. Once the first candidate’s details have been collected, the King moves on to the next question.

It’s a very uncomfortable topic which needs to be broached, and Castiel suddenly finds himself unable to make eye contact with anyone else as the King asks the candidate, “Can you tell us what enables you to stay calm around an omega in heat?”

It is no secret that the scent of an omega in heat is incredibly enticing. It takes a strong alpha to keep his head around an omega who is in such a state, and considering the close proximity that Castiel and his protector will be in for much of the time, it is vital that this man can… control himself. The topic is much too vulgar to be discussed publically, but omegas in heat often have a habit of begging and if the protector gives in and takes Castiel… well, the consequences would be serious. Everyone knows that at fifteen years old, Castiel is too young to fall pregnant.

The question makes the first candidate stammer. Since the topic is so rarely brought up in such a blunt way, it’s not surprising that he is caught off guard. The silence stretches on, with the candidate practically impersonating a fish with his mouth opening and closing, and the King staring back expectantly. Castiel is mortified. The way his body works is the reason for this awkwardness, and he doesn’t even have anyone to sympathise with him since he’s the only omega in their surroundings.

The King finally breaks the silence by holding up a hand and saying, “That was very informative, thank you. Please return to the other candidates.”

As the candidate shuffles off, Gabriel says, “Couldn’t get a word in edgeways with that guy, could ya?”

Castiel would laugh at Gabriel’s joke if he wasn’t busy trying to hide his embarrassed blush. He leans to his father and says, “Did you have to ask that? It’s humiliating.”

But Castiel’s father has never had much tact or subtlety when it comes to protecting his children. “I’d rather ask him that and find out now if he’s going to be overpowered by an omega’s heat than in a few months when you come to me and tell me he’s gotten you pregnant.”

“Now that would be a story for the papers,” Michael smirks.

“I don’t see the problem as long as the father is a hottie. Right, Cassie?” Gabriel winks, making some of the others laugh.

“Yes, that’s enough,” the King says with an amused smile.

“I’ve somehow started to regret this whole day,” Castiel grumbles.

Despite Castiel’s protests, the King proceeds to ask the following three candidates the exact same question. Paul makes everyone laugh by claiming that even if Castiel went into heat near him; his alpha manhood is too old to wake up and notice it by now. One candidate gives an eloquent response of ‘Um…’ until the King puts him out of his misery and lets him go. The other candidate is immediately disqualified and sent home with a warning when he decides to respond to the question by looking Castiel up and down, giving a cheeky smirk and saying, “Oh, don’t you worry. I can stay calm enough to fully satisfy an omega.”

Castiel’s face goes hot, and he squeezes his legs together and pulls his jacket tighter around him to protect himself from the candidate’s stare. His father goes ballistic and if the three guards hadn’t rushed up to take the candidate away, the King would have gotten rid of him single-handedly.

The final candidate is Rufus’ recommendation; the only one Castiel has been looking forward to listening to. He’s very excited to know if the man’s personality is as impressive as his physical ability.

The man is brought forward, close enough for everyone to really _see_ him this time, and suddenly Castiel is squeezing his legs together for a completely different reason. Heavens above, the man is… quite lovely to look at. In fact, Castiel doesn’t think he’s seen anybody so handsome before, with those emerald eyes and beautifully angular features. Castiel’s virgin body reacts positively to an alpha for the first time, and he’s suddenly wishing everybody but the man would disappear.

Clearly his family and the council are not as affected by the man’s arrival as he is, so the interview begins in the same way the other four did.

“What’s your name?” the King asks.

“Dean Winchester, Your Majesty.” Oh, is there not a single part of this man that is flawed? His voice is wonderful too.

“And your age?”

“Twenty four, Your Majesty.”

“Your hometown is Lawrence, correct? My financial advisor Rufus recommended you for the position and after witnessing your performance in the exercises, I’m glad he did. What is your relation to Rufus?”

“He’s good friends with my sort-of adoptive uncle, Your Majesty.”

“Is he the one who trained you?”

“Not really, no, I mostly taught myself.”

Raphael rudely interrupts the King and, obviously looking for any reason to fluster the man, asks, “And how exactly does one teach themselves how to properly combat? It doesn’t sound like a reliable training method to me.”

But Dean remains level-headed. “I grew up with a younger brother to look after and not much money to do that with. I learned what I know the hard way after a lot of encounters with street thugs. If I wanted to feed my brother, I had to fight for it. So no, my method isn’t exactly _reliable_ , but it clearly works, doesn’t it?”

Castiel finds himself smiling along with Dean’s story, thrilled that he had a good answer for Raphael. Dean has so far proved himself to be a protective, caring older brother with real life experiences that he’s learnt from and a good attitude to go along with it.

Castiel’s father looks quite impressed too. “Evidently it does. You seem to have made it through a decent man, and I hope your brother is alright as well?”

“Yeah, he’s really good, thanks. He’s training to be a doctor, Your Majesty.” Dean has such a proud smile on his face and it just makes him even more attractive to Castiel.

“Well, I’m happy to hear that. So you’ve travelled here to be with us today, but what’s your regular job?”

Dean’s smile falters a bit. “I just do a little of everything where I’m needed, Your Majesty. Carpentry, farming, helping my uncle lift the heavy bags of food, that sort of thing. My little brother is the one with the brains.”

“Certainly sounds like you’re accustomed to manual labour. I do have another question for you; when presented with an omega in heat, how do you ensure you keep a level head?”

If Castiel’s cheeks were red when his father asked the first four candidates that question, they’re positively crimson this time. Castiel cares more what Dean thinks of him far more than the others. He’s sort of torn between feeling self-conscious and thrilled at the idea of Dean imagining him in heat.

Dean opens his mouth to speak but he is interrupted by Uriel. “Yes, please, tell us how the street thugs also taught you how to properly care for an omega.”

Castiel rolls his eyes and he’s sure he’s not the only one who does so. His father sighs but stays silent to allow Dean the chance to answer.

“Well, actually I have had a lot of experience with omegas. I didn’t move in with my uncle until I was sixteen, and when I did, we started talking about omegas and how they’re treated so badly. My uncle’s sister was an omega and she died when she was a teenager ‘cause a couple alphas got just a little too rough with her. And yeah, I’d seen enough abuse myself living on the street for a while. So we’ve set up a safe house of sorts for omegas who don’t have a secure place to live or if they feel threatened or they’re hiding from someone. We give them a bed, food and a job if they can work, so they can still live their lives and not feel worried that some caveman alpha is gonna hurt them. When they go into heat, we give them a protected room for them to stay in until it passes with a full day’s pay from their job since it’s not fair that they should lose money just because of the way their body functions.”

There’s a stillness which sets over the group as Dean finishes speaking. Everybody seems to have been rendered speechless, even Raphael and Uriel who cannot find something to pick up on and argue about.

Castiel finally breaks the silence and says his first word to any of the candidates; a breathy, stunned, “ _Wow_.”

Dean looks directly at Castiel for the first time and when their eyes meet, something clicks within Castiel.

“Your activism for omega rights is very inspiring, Your Highness,” Dean says in a voice that is suddenly quieter, more gentle.

Castiel could weep. This is _exactly_ what he is aiming for, what he hopes for when he’s dealing with the council in those tedious meetings, when he’s up late writing letters to mayors, when he’s defying his anxiety of dealing with large groups by giving talks to those in positions of power. All he wants is for omegas to feel safe and to have opportunities just like the alphas and betas do. He wants to know that he’s making a difference, that changes are slowly being made because of him.

Now thanks to Dean, Castiel knows that what he’s doing is truly worth something.

“Thank you,” Castiel murmurs with a smile as wide as his face, tightly grasping his father’s hand to concentrate on keeping any emotional tears at bay.

His father takes the reigns from there. “Thank you, Dean,” he repeats. “Knowing that makes us very, very glad. Please, go back and wait with the others while we make our final decisions.”

Dean bows and leaves them to talk.

Gabriel is the one to say what most of them are probably thinking. “I don’t think there’s much of a question about it, is there? I mean, do any of us have dry eyes after that last little conversation?”

Raphael clears his throat pointedly, completely ruining the moment.

“Ah yes, for a minute I forgot about stone-man over here,” Gabriel quips.

“Let’s not waste time, shall we?” the King says in his no-nonsense way. “Show of hands, who agrees Dean is the appropriate choice?”

Castiel’s hand is the first to shoot up. Everyone follows except for Raphael and Uriel of course.

The King is not having any of their foolishness. “Raphael and Uriel, I’m going to take your responses as a ‘yes’ assuming you are both just too proud to admit your previous statements about Dean were wrong.”

Their lack of reply is all the King needs to finalise the choice.

The royals and the council return to their tall chairs before the spectators. The crowd has thinned considerably since the first stage of the trials – the interviews had taken rather a long time and most people probably only had interest in watching the exciting physical exercises. There are still many of them watching though, cheering at the royals’ return.

The remaining candidates are asked to line up before the chairs as they did at the beginning of the trials. From forty down to four; it’s an impressive accomplishment on all of their behalves.

The King is handed his speaking trumpet and says, “Thank you to those of you who have remained with us today. Together, we have reached a unanimous decision as to who of our final four should be hired as Prince Castiel’s protector. I think it’s only right that Castiel himself tells our chosen candidate. Castiel?”

Castiel’s father hands him a beautifully crafted steel dagger wrapped in expensive fabric which is to be given to Castiel’s new protector as a gift, to aid him in his duties.

Castiel allows a guard to help him down from his chair due to the dangerous item in his hand and when he reaches the ground, all of the candidates kneel out of respect.

Silence falls over the field as everybody waits for Castiel to make his choice known. Castiel doesn’t hesitate. He walks straight over to Dean and stops in front of him. Dean does not look up; despite his different upbringing, he is still aware of the formalities in Aelam.

“Dean,” Castiel says, delighted to be in his company again. “I will feel very safe with you protecting me. Please take this gift, you will need a weapon on your person and we want you to have the best. You may stand.”

Dean stands obediently, finally allowing himself to look Castiel.

“Thank you, Your Highness,” he murmurs. “I won’t disappoint you, I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> [Link to my tumblr](http://wingit-spn.tumblr.com/)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel and Dean get to spend some time together.

The first week of Dean living in the castle does not quite go as Castiel hoped it would. As a precaution, his father has insisted that for Dean’s first two weeks, he should be monitored by a couple of the existing guards to ensure that he is able to carry out his job responsibilities properly. Castiel bitterly acknowledges the irony of this as the whole point of hiring Dean had been to get rid of his herd of servants, yet here he is now with an even bigger following.

Because Castiel and Dean are still surrounded by the other guards, they have not had much opportunity to have a proper conversation yet. Castiel has been looking forward to finding out more about the safe house Dean and his uncle have created, but he just feels like he can’t bring it up in the company of others. First of all, Dean might not want to discuss his life back in his hometown in front of any random servant in the castle. Second of all, Castiel wants to be careful about how he interacts with Dean in front of other people. Yes, Dean is partly here to try and overcome Castiel’s loneliness but he is still a servant, not a buddy.

Castiel manages to have a few chats with Dean during the week though. Just generic, short conversations, but at least it’s something.

“How are you finding Aelam so far?” he asks Dean one afternoon when the guards have finally stopped talking Dean’s ear off about the importance of having all the buttons on one’s coat done up.

“It’s different,” Dean admits.

“In a good or bad way?”

“In a good way! Yeah, it’s really… it’s interesting here. So much to see.”

Castiel narrows his eyes. He hasn’t known Dean for very long at all, but he can still tell that Dean is lying. Castiel doesn’t like it; he wants Dean to feel at ease here, not like he has to lie just to please him.

So he tries to reassure Dean. “It’s okay if you don’t like things here, you know. I’ve lived here my whole life and there are still things I dislike.”

Dean exhales in a way that sounds relieved. “I guess it’s a lot busier than I’m used to. There’s a crazy amount of people here.”

Castiel knows exactly what he means. “It gets a bit stifling sometimes, doesn’t it?”

“A little, yeah.”

The two of them smile at each other, pleased to find something they have in common.

After this conversation, Castiel tries to convince his father to let the guards leave Dean alone earlier than planned, but his father is not as forgiving as Castiel had been hoping him to be. “It’s only been a week, Castiel. The guards are going to report back to me when it has been a fortnight and then I’ll make a decision from there.”

“Daddy, we both know Dean is perfectly capable of protecting me on his own now. Dean is here so I wouldn’t have to have this ridiculous following, so why are they all still here? Dean is finding them tedious too.”

His father looks up from his papers and frowns. “Dean said that?”

“Well, no, but I said something to that extent and I know he agreed with me. Please, Daddy, can’t you just hear the guards’ report now instead?”

“I don’t think a week is a sufficient amount of time to evaluate Dean’s progress.”

“Yes, it is! Why are you being so uptight about this?”

His father gives him a hard look that warns Castiel he’s at risk of being told off. “Castiel, I’ve said I’ll listen to the guards after a fortnight and that’s final. Don’t be a brat.”

Castiel sighs. These are the times when he’s reminded of where his stubbornness actually comes from. He grumbles an apology to his father and then leaves his study, where Dean and the guards are waiting for him just outside the door. Castiel forces a smile at them.

Still another week to go.

X

Dean’s progress report from the guards finally comes the following Saturday just after lunch.

It’s been a long week for Castiel. He’s been bottling up all of the short-tempered comments he’d wanted to say to the guards because despite how much they are irritating him, Castiel hates being rude to the servants and he doesn’t want Dean to think badly of him. Suppressing his anger in this way has made the days pass rather slowly.

Castiel, Dean, his two monitoring guards and the King gather in the library so that they can discuss in a secure, neutral place.

“So, it’s been two weeks since Dean came to work for us, how has he gotten on with his responsibilities?” the King asks, getting right to the point.

One of the guards – Castiel feels guilty that he isn’t even sure of his name – comes forward to speak. “There have been no problems, Your Majesty. Dean has carried out all of his responsibilities appropriately; he is awake and up in plenty of time, checks rooms for Castiel to make sure they are safe, always keeps a watchful eye, accompanies Castiel everywhere he can, makes sure the windows and doors of Castiel’s bedroom are locked and secure. He stays calm and he has patience.”

“Good to hear,” the King says. “And Castiel? I already have an idea but how are you finding Dean to be?”

“He’s perfect!” Castiel says brightly, before hurrying to correct himself. “…for the job. He’s… he’s very good at the job.”

“Alright,” the King chuckles. “Well it sounds like you’ve made a good start, Dean. I see no reason for you to be monitored any longer; you’ll be on your own from now on. Now, I’m sorry to rush off but I do have a meeting to attend to.”

After the guards’ report, Castiel and Dean head outside to go and sit on the grass. The heatwave is starting to pass which Castiel is extremely thankful for. Aelam is generally a chilly and cloudy place so the brief arrival of sunshine had come as quite an unpleasant surprise this year. Castiel is always more comfortable when it’s cooler.

He finds a nice shady patch beneath an oak tree and sits himself down, breathing in the fresh air and relishing in his freedom.

Dean is still standing, surveying the surroundings. Castiel looks up at him, hesitating for a moment before saying, “You can sit down if you want.”

Dean looks at Castiel in surprise, but obediently lowers himself to the grass. He keeps a somewhat safe distance between himself and Castiel though, neither of them wanting to push the boundaries too much just yet.

The next few minutes pass with both of them sneaking glances at each other and quickly looking away when the other notices. It’s rather awkward, but Castiel is struggling to start a conversation. This is the first time he and Dean have ever been alone together, and Castiel feels shy and a little self-conscious.

“So,” Castiel finally says, unable to take the silence any longer. “Um, I’d really like to hear more about the safe house you and your uncle have made.”

“Yeah?” Dean’s smile alone is enough to relax Castiel. “What would you like to know?”

“How many omegas do you have staying with you?”

“Before I left we had twenty with us, but that number will probably keep rising. It was a slow start to be honest. For a couple months we only had two; a mother and daughter running away from an abusive alpha. I think a lot of omegas were still nervous about taking that step and finding help, and it was probably hard for them to trust us since none of us are omegas ourselves. But once the word got out that we were the real deal, it got busy real fast. We’d just started talking about building an extension for when the place gets too full.”

“That’s amazing. So are they all omegas from your village?”

“Mostly. There’s a few who’d been travelling for a while, running away from someone, and just happened to pass through our village and find us.”

“How many of you look after the house?”

“It’s my uncle Bobby who manages the whole place, but there’s a few of us who keep the house in check, cook the food and stuff. We try to keep it subtle so the omegas still feel like they’re living in a real house, not a fancy hotel.”

“Exactly. I mean, I can’t speak for every omega but I know that one of the most frustrating things is being treated like we’re a different species. We just want to fit in with everyone else.”

“I’m glad you think that. That’s what we try and promote back home. We do the best we can but like I said, none of us are omegas so sometimes we’re not sure what the right thing to do is. It’s nice when an omega tells us we’re doing something right.”

“It’s the same for me. I’m fighting for omegas but there aren’t always alphas and betas willing to help out. It makes me happy that there are alphas like you who are being proactive like that.”

Dean smiles at Castiel with sparkling eyes. “Sounds like we’d make a good team then, huh?”

Castiel’s heart flutters at the sentiment and he returns Dean’s smile. “I agree.”

Another silence falls between them, but this one is not awkward like the first one. It’s pensive, amicable, and Castiel is starting to feel as though this is worth the two week wait.

But now that the ice has been broken, Castiel wants to keep talking. He wants to know all about Dean. “And your brother is training to be a doctor, isn’t he? He must be really clever.”

Dean’s proud smile which Castiel is quickly associating with his younger brother returns. “Yeah, he is. That’s actually the reason I applied for this position; Sam’s training isn’t cheap and I’m helping to pay for it. Most of my wages are just gonna be sent straight to him since I don’t need much money for myself.”

“But Aelam is so far away from your home, why not find a job there?”

“Well, to be brutally honest, nothing back home paid nearly as well as this,” Dean says with an uneasy smile, rubbing the back of his neck. “When Rufus heard about the job he put my name forward straight away because he knows we always need the money.”

Money woes have never been a problem for Castiel. Being born into royalty has set him up for a lifetime of luxury and privileges. Castiel doesn’t flaunt it, not at all, but he does sometimes forget that not everyone is as entitled as he is. He thinks of Dean having to travel for five days and live in a new, strange kingdom to raise money for his younger brother’s education, and then he thinks about if he was in that position, having to leave his father and brothers to work a tiring job just to get by. Castiel can’t imagine how well he’d cope.

“Oh.” Castiel isn’t quite sure what the appropriate response is. He fiddles with his fingernails. “Um, well, I’m glad to be of help?”

Dean surprises Castiel by sniggering. “You’re more of a dork than I thought you’d be. Your Highness.”

Dean’s playful comment makes Castiel blush. He isn’t used to this kind of friendly teasing because he has grown up a little isolated from others his own age. He has been home-schooled his whole life and the only real friend he’s ever had is Balthazar, who Castiel has known since he was a child so interaction with him comes naturally. And he has Gabriel of course, but Castiel isn’t sure siblings count as actual friends.

Dean is brand new though. Castiel desperately wants to become friends with him, and as a result, it’s making him act little awkwardly.

Castiel decides against returning Dean’s teasing – he doesn’t trust himself enough to say something that’s not lame – and instead says, “You don’t have to call me ‘Your Highness’ if you don’t want to. You can just call me Castiel.”

It’s a somewhat bold offer; Dean has only been here for two weeks and none of the other servants call Castiel by name, yet most of them have been around as long as Castiel can remember. But Dean’s responding smile quickly removes all thought of being lectured by his father on ‘maintaining boundaries with the servants’.

“Okay, I will. Thanks, Castiel.”

His name on Dean’s lips gives Castiel quite another reason to blush.

X

Over the next few days, Castiel and Dean make up for the time they missed out on during Dean’s first two weeks by talking to each other non-stop. Castiel quickly discovers just how easy it is to get along with Dean. Castiel isn’t exactly the most socially adept person; he’s quite awkward when speaking to those he isn’t familiar with and social gatherings generally exhaust him. With Dean though, Castiel doesn’t feel as though every word he’s saying is being scrutinised, and at the end of their conversations Castiel isn’t drained the way he is with other people.

Castiel often steers their conversations towards Dean’s life back in Lawrence because he finds it interesting to learn about how other people live, especially since his own life is so sheltered. Dean, on the other hand, never asks Castiel about life as a prince. Castiel assumes it’s because Dean is still testing the waters, not wanting to say anything that might get him in trouble.

Castiel doesn’t mind that for now though. Dean still hasn’t lived here for very long and they have lots of time to get to know each other better.

“How are you getting on with the other servants?” Castiel asks Dean when they’re again sitting outside. Castiel is quite enjoying this late summer period; it’s not nearly hot enough to make him cranky but it’s also not too cold as to prevent him from going outside. He’s making the most of this time while he can.

Castiel isn’t anticipating Dean’s response to be a grimace.

“Some of them are okay. Ellen is nice, and Ash and Benny are cool. A lot of the others are a little snobby though. They don’t seem to understand why a ‘foreigner’ is now living with them.”

“Really?” Castiel had expected that kind of behaviour off the council and other royals, but not from the servants. Then again, Castiel doesn’t really know any of the servants personally. “Are they rude to you?”

“Not so much, they just go out of their way to avoid me. I get a few death glares every now and then.”

That ruffles Castiel’s feathers to no end. Even after a short time together, he is already feeling protective over Dean. The servants have no right to make him feel unwelcome, especially since Dean is such a long way from home. “How dare they?! I’ll go down to the servants’ hall during dinner and say something to them all.”

“No!” Dean says quickly. “Thank you but it’s not a big deal. I can fight my own battles.”

Castiel is still scowling at the thought of anyone making Dean feel bad. “Are you sure? I’m the one who offered you this job; I want to make sure you’re comfortable here.”

Dean gives him a kind smile. “It’s alright. Honestly. I’m not here make friends with the other servants, I’m here to raise money for Sammy and keep you safe.”

Castiel’s anger melts away at Dean’s words and his body begins to relax again. Dean’s smile is infectious. “Well, if it helps at all, I’m really glad that you’re here. I… don’t have many friends.”

“Seriously?” Dean sounds disbelieving. “But you’re the prince. You must have hundreds of people wanting to be your friend.”

“That may be the case, but it’s not something I have much of a say in. My father gets paranoid about someone hurting me, what with me being a male omega and royal and all, so I’m kept very sheltered. I don’t have many opportunities to make friends.”

“That sucks. What about school friends?”

“I’ve been home schooled my whole life.”

“Oh. Well that does complicate things.”

Castiel chuckles. “That’s partly the reason why you were hired, so instead of having a whole group of guards that changes every day I’d have someone I could interact with. It’s nice to have someone to talk to.”

It’s an embarrassing revelation that he hadn’t actually planned on telling Dean, certainly not this early on in their friendship. It had just slipped out though. Castiel fidgets with his hands and hopes Dean doesn’t find it ridiculous that Castiel had to ask his father to hire and pay for someone to be friends with him.

Dean doesn’t mock Castiel for it though. He just looks off across the grounds at the beginnings of today’s sunset and mumbles a thoughtful, “Huh.”

“What?”

Dean turns back to Castiel. “I never expected when I first got here that the servants would be the dicks and you would be the nice one. No offence.”

“That’s quite alright, I’d rather it be like that than the other way round.”

X

Every Sunday evening for as long as Castiel can remember, his father and he have sat down together in a cosy armchair by the fire and read books. It’s a nice tradition they have which allows them to spend time together away from others and catch up on the week’s events. Castiel hasn’t seen much of his father this week – he’s been attending lots of meetings and Castiel has been busy himself chatting with Dean – so he has been looking forward to their reading time.

Earlier this week, Castiel had found a book in the library about the first castle that was built in Aelam which he knew his father would be interested in, so that is what currently sits on his father’s lap. Castiel doesn’t have his own book this week so he’s sharing with his father. He doesn’t particularly have an interest in historical buildings like the King does, but Castiel feels more like relaxing instead of reading tonight.

Castiel rests his head against his father’s shoulder and lets the body heat radiating off him slowly pull his eyes shut. After spending much of his time keeping up appearances in front of other people, Castiel does not let himself feel guilty for indulging in an occasional cuddle like this.

His father rouses him moments later by running a gentle hand down Castiel’s arm and asking him a question. “How have you been this week, my sweet? I’m sorry I haven’t been around much, I’ve been very busy.”

“That’s okay,” Castiel replies. And it honestly is okay; normally Castiel gets lonely when all of his family are away but he hasn’t really noticed it this week with Dean around. “I’ve been fine. I feel better now it’s not so sunny out.”

“I’m glad. How have you been getting on with Dean? Is he alright now that he’s on his own?”

Dean is still in the room but he’s by the door along with the King’s guards so he is out of earshot. The King always orders the guards to give his family some space in times like these. This also happens during every meal time together.

“Yes, he’s absolutely fine. It’s so much better than having all those guards around me like a swarm. I feel like I can breathe now.”

“You did say you wanted to try and make friends with him. Have you talked to him much?”

“I have. He’s a very nice person; it’s not fair that people are rude to him just because he’s from the south. I’ve been asking him more about his omega safe house.”

“Oh yes, I was really impressed with that.”

“Me too. Dean said that they have about twenty omegas staying with them now. I was thinking about how brilliant it would be if lots of cities and villages had a safe house like that.”

“It’s certainly a good idea. You should come to the next council meeting and put it forward, if you want to.”

“I will. I’ll write some notes on the matter tomorrow.”

Castiel’s father goes to turn the page of the book. “Have you finished this page?”

“I’m not really reading it, I was dozing.”

“I can read it aloud if you want?”

“Sure, that’ll send me right off to sleep.”

“Oi.” He pokes Castiel’s side. “This is an interesting topic. You should show more of an interest in your kingdom’s history.”

“Mhm, yeah, it’s fascinating,” Castiel mumbles, already closing his eyes and settling contentedly against his father for a little nap.

“Why do I bother, hm?” his father sighs, though he isn’t really irritated. He still goes ahead and begins to read in a soft voice, knowing that Castiel appreciates the quiet background noise.

Castiel snoozes until his father wakes him and sends him to bed. He is escorted to his bedroom by Dean. As per their nightly routine, Castiel first of all uses the bathroom to wash his face and clean his teeth, and then he is given privacy to change into his night clothes. When Castiel is done, Dean returns and carries out checks of the bedroom and balcony doors as well as all the windows to make sure they are locked and secure.

Usually they will be conversing whilst Dean does his checks, but tonight Dean is oddly quiet.

Castiel watches Dean walk about the room for a few moments with a crease forming between his eyebrows. In his head, Castiel debates the potential outcomes of questioning Dean and whether he would appreciate Castiel’s concern or not. In the end, he throws caution to the wind and says exactly what he is thinking. “You’re a little quiet, is everything alright?”

Dean avoids making eye contact, something Castiel picks up on immediately since Dean has never shied away from looking at him before. “Yeah, everything’s peachy.”

Everything is clearly not peachy so Castiel walks right up to Dean and stands as close to him as he dares so Dean has no choice but to look at him.

“I don’t believe you,” Castiel says.

“I…” Castiel’s stare seems to be having the desired effect because Dean’s hard expression quickly softens. He lets out a small sigh and his shoulders slump. “It’s just… watching you with your dad tonight… it kinda makes me miss my family.”

It makes Castiel’s heart hurt. From what Dean has already told him, he is very close with his family so having to leave them all, and with such short notice as well, must have been painful. “I’m sorry, Dean.”

Dean shakes his head. “It’s fine. I know why I’m here and this is where I need to be. Little things like tonight just get to ya sometimes, you know?”

Castiel nods. “I miss Gabriel too when he’s not here. I know that doesn’t compare to you having to leave your family, but I do understand how you feel in a way. I’m always here to talk if you need.”

“Thanks. That means a lot.”

Neither of them continue speaking but the gaze between them lingers. Castiel finds it difficult to ignore the strange prickling sensation he feels in the back of his skull, like his body is hyperaware of Dean’s eyes on him.

Dean suddenly blinks like he’s been woken from a trance. “Forgive me for staring. Your beauty is breath-taking.”

It makes Castiel’s heart stutter in his chest, and he finds himself wondering if Dean really said that or his mind is playing tricks on him. Castiel has received many compliments from countless people throughout his life but none of them have ever made him feel quite like this, like his brain is tingling and he’s glowing from the inside out.

“Wow,” Castiel beams. “Thank you.”

“Was that inappropriate to say?”

“Probably, but I don’t mind. I liked it.”

Another charged silence almost forms between them but Castiel momentarily comes to his senses, letting go of a deep breath he wasn’t aware he was holding and taking a step back.

“Well, I’m sorry for keeping you up,” Castiel says, pretending to straighten his night clothes. “You can go to bed now.”

Dean takes his own step back, understanding that the moment is over. “Goodnight, Castiel.”

Dean leaves, and Castiel falls asleep that night feeling lighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Just a note about the A/B/O dynamics in this story: There isn't much focus on the biological side of things (just the fact that omegas go into heat once a month and can get pregnant), it's more to do with status and how omegas are disadvantaged in society. Just in case that's something anyone wouldn't be too interested in reading about!
> 
> [Link to my tumblr](http://wingit-spn.tumblr.com/)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sparks will fly in the middle of a self-defence lesson, apparently.

Castiel is half excited for the next council meeting and half dreading it. His father has arranged for Castiel to attend this week in order to put forward his idea about implementing an omega safe house in Aelam, and whilst Castiel is thrilled at the prospect of a new project, there is really nothing worse than spending an afternoon in the same room as Uriel and Raphael, pretending he doesn’t want to throw his own shoes at them.

Castiel finds himself grumbling about Uriel and Raphael to Dean as he writes up his notes of all the things he wants to say in the meeting.

“… and it’s not even like they’re _that_ valuable on the council, there’s still four other members on there so they don’t even need to be kept, and they’re easily replaceable, I don’t know why Daddy puts up with them –”

“How long have you felt this way about them?” Dean gently interrupts Castiel’s ranting, probably a good thing since Castiel’s voice is starting to become a little hoarse.

“Since I was old enough to realise how completely _backwards_ their views are.”

“Does your Dad keep them around for a reason?”

“Well, he kind of has to since all of their fathers were on the council however many years ago and the position gets passed down, blah blah. What is it with people wanting to live in the past so much?”

“People like them had pretty cushy lives in the past. I mean, they still do now, but it must be so hard for them, what with omegas being able to speak their minds and having ‘foreigners’ wandering around,” Dean smirks as he repeats the word which has been directed at him many times in the four weeks he has been in Aelam. At first, Castiel had been worried about the snide insults Dean had received but Dean has assured Castiel numerous times that he doesn’t take anything like that to heart.

Castiel is amused by Dean’s sarcasm and replies in kind. “Oh, of _course_. I mean, look at you, you’re practically an animal.”

“Mhm, I’m here to slowly corrupt you and your entire family. It’s an elaborate ploy by my ancestors that’s been going on for centuries, you see.”

Castiel fakes a gasp. “I knew it!”

Dean laughs and then turns back to face the door of the library. They’ve been in here for a couple of hours, with Castiel sitting at a table and Dean stood monitoring the surroundings. “Now stop your whining about those two bastards. You’re distracting me from my work.”

Castiel and Dean’s friendship has flourished in the short time they have spent together. Castiel hasn’t gotten along with anyone this well since Balthazar, and it’s just so refreshing to be able to spend time with someone he isn’t related to. As much as he loves his family, it’s very different talking to relatives compared to a friend. Castiel and Dean regularly joke around and tease each other this way, which is why Castiel doesn’t mind when Dean makes comments like that.

“Excuse me, you’re the one who started the conversation. I was perfectly happy ranting away to myself here.”

“Ah, talking to yourself, a classic trait of crazy people.”

Castiel picks up a wadded piece of paper off the table and throws it at Dean, hitting him on the shoulder. Dean turns back to Castiel with an appalled expression before throwing his arms in the air. “And they say I’m the thug! Look at this, I’m being victimised in my place of work. I mean really, Cas, throwing _paper_? Who raised you, Neanderthals?”

Castiel would return the teasing if he wasn’t busy sniggering at Dean. Dean’s nickname for him came about quite quickly after Castiel told Dean he could call him by his name. Castiel likes it; he is never normally called anything less than his full name or ‘Your Highness’, or the even worse ‘Cassie’ by Gabriel and Balthazar. This nickname only comes from Dean, something unique that Castiel can associate with just him. Castiel likes how different Dean is from the rest of the people in his life, and he wants to keep him separate from them because of this.

“You deserved it,” Castiel teases.

Dean shakes his head and paces over to one of the windows to carry out a check of the grounds outside, muttering, “Beautiful savage.”

Ever since that night when Dean had commented on Castiel’s beauty, he has slipped in a few more compliments like this into their conversations. Neither of them ever say anything about it. Castiel isn’t even sure if Dean does it on purpose or if it just slips out occasionally. Either way, every time Dean says something like that in that casual way, Castiel’s cheeks heats up and his stomach does a little flip. It’s a bizarre, unfamiliar sensation but Castiel rather enjoys the adrenaline rush it gives him. It makes him feel… good.

As Castiel returns to his notes in front of him, he is reminded of the anger he felt for Uriel and Raphael mere minutes ago. He casts a sneaky glance at his protector and blinks, silently marvelling at how quickly Dean had managed to calm him down. The effect Dean has on him is fascinating.

X

Castiel is peeved within thirty seconds of the council meeting. When he had walked into the large room the meeting is being held in, everybody apart from Naomi and Bartholomew had already been seated. Uriel’s look of surprise upon seeing Castiel had quickly been replaced with a smirk.

“Well if it isn’t our favourite little omega,” he’d simpered.

Castiel hadn’t bothered with a reply, instead just giving his father a kiss on the cheek and taking a seat next to him.

Now, an hour into the meeting, Castiel still hasn’t been able to get a word in edgeways. He’s bored and irritated, not sure of how much longer he’ll be able to keep his mouth shut.

Finally, the King gives Castiel an opening. “Next order of business, we have Castiel here today because he has something he’d like to talk about.”

 _About time_ , Castiel thinks bitterly. He glances down at the notes in front of him and opens his mouth to speak, but he’s interrupted by Raphael.

“Actually, Your Majesty, I do have somewhere important to be. Perhaps our little prince can wait until another time to share his big ideas. Although it has been a pleasure to have something pretty to look at this meeting.”

Raphael makes to gather his things and stand up but the King reaches out and yanks down Raphael’s papers, leaving absolutely no room for debate. “You’ll sit on your arrogant ass and listen until my boy says it’s okay for you to go.”

Castiel would have protested at not having the chance to stand up for himself, but he thinks his father handled Raphael quite succinctly.

Raphael’s mouth forms a sharp line but he slowly sinks back down into his chair.

“So,” Castiel says, deciding against a snide comment. “I’d like to introduce a new project; building a safe house for vulnerable omegas in Aelam. Aelam is a large, busy city, and there are lots of omegas who are struggling to get by; perhaps they don’t have a safe place to live, or a family to support them, or they may be feeling intimidated by alphas and betas around them. Omegas are often denied jobs just because of their status, and that leaves many of them unable to afford a secure home. And in terms of heats –”

Uriel interrupts him with a scoff. “That’s hardly appropriate to bring up in the middle of a council meeting.”

Castiel completely ignores him and continues speaking in a louder voice to drown out the sound of self-righteousness. “– there are many omegas who don’t have a safe place to stay whilst they’re going through their heats, and that leads to alphas taking advantage of them.”

“Yes, thank you, Castiel, we get the idea,” Bartholomew says.

“Clearly you don’t, because if you did, you would be having more of a reaction. Omegas who are not in a safe and secure place when they go into their heats end up being picked up by alphas, dragged to some secret place where they can’t escape and then they are _raped_ , sometimes to death.”

There’s a collective, uncomfortable shift across the room. Castiel doesn’t let that stop him.

“And if they do manage to survive, they’re often left pregnant. So not only can they not afford to take care of themselves, they now also have a child to look after. That child will either end up incredibly sick or will be taken away from the omega altogether. That’s no way to live and it’s incredibly unfair. Nobody should have to go through that trauma just because of their status. So, to sum up, I think having a safe house which is run by professionals will reduce this level of crime and abuse against omegas and give them a fighting chance in this city. They deserve to feel safe the way alphas and betas do.”

Castiel’s father places a comforting hand over Castiel’s on the table. “Well said, Castiel. I don’t see how anyone can disagree with that argument.”

“Well…” Raphael says.

Castiel’s eyes practically roll to the back of his head and he turns to Raphael with no patience left to pretend he doesn’t find him insufferable. “For God’s sake, _what_? What problem could you possibly find with what I just said?”

“You paint a lovely picture of omegas as victims, but you do realise that when omegas are in heat, they _ask_ for alphas to take them? In fact, they _beg_ them. Is an alpha supposed to just walk away from an omega who is begging for them that way?”

Castiel takes a deep breath to try and calm his boiling blood. How on _Earth_ are people like this still in a position of power? How many poor people have to rely on this kind of idiocy?

“You know that’s not the way it works and if you genuinely believe what you just said then I question your relevance on a progressive council.”

Raphael is still clearly stinging from being put in his place by the King no more than ten minutes ago. “Oh please, you’ve made this out to be a ludicrously bigger problem than it actually is. All of this sounds awfully familiar to what your mutt of a guard said when you made the mistake of hiring him. Is he the one who put these words into your mouth?”

“ _Nobody_ tells me what to say. As incredible as it may seem to you, I am capable of thinking for myself.” Castiel had tried very hard to keep his head during this meeting, but to actually have a council member disagree with a perfectly reasonable idea to protect potential rape victims? It’s the final straw, and Castiel doesn’t want to waste his time in this room for a second longer. He stands and gathers his notes. “And my ‘mutt’ of a guard is a better man than you could ever hope to be. How unbelievable that the good ones like him are made to be servants whereas you have more power than you could ever deserve?”

Castiel marches towards the door, not once looking back.

Behind him, Raphael gives a little chuckle and says with glee in his voice, “Oh, sweet little prince! You’ll need to be more resilient than that if you want to actually make any of these changes you keep going on about!”

Castiel storms out the room, faintly hearing his father start to yell at Raphael but too furious to do anything other than keep putting as much distance between him and the council as he can.

X

It’s an hour later and Castiel is still fuming. After leaving the meeting, he had kept walking until he’d left the castle altogether and found a little bench out on the grounds. He’s now sitting with his arms folded, taking deep breaths and frowning at nothing in particular. Dean, who had been waiting for Castiel just outside the meeting, had hurried to follow him and is now quietly sitting beside Castiel on the bench. Despite not knowing what was said in the meeting, Dean seems to understand that Castiel needs some time to brood.

Castiel can’t quite believe just how _rude_ Raphael had been. Castiel had waited an hour listening to the council ramble on just to be able to make his case, and then when he’d tried, Raphael had simply belittled him. Castiel is not an official member of the council but he is still invited along to speak occasionally the same way Michael and Gabriel are. Raphael has never treated Michael or Gabriel like that. It’s everything to do with the fact that Castiel is an omega and Raphael is prejudiced and can’t accept that an omega has the chance to be in a position of power.

Castiel finally lets out a long sigh. “Raphael is a bastard.”

He sees Dean glance sideways at him. “That’s not news to me. What’d he say this time?”

“He said that omegas don’t need a safe house because when they’re on the streets in heat, they ask to be raped and that’s not alphas’ fault.”

“ _What_? Does he actually mean that or does he say it just to piss you off?”

“Probably a combination of the two. We didn’t even manage to get into properly discussing the safe house, Raphael just immediately started goading and I left.”

“I thought you normally argued against him?”

Castiel sighs again, letting his arms fall into his lap and beginning to fidget with his nails. “Normally, yes. I just got frustrated today.”

“More than usual?”

“Yes.”

“How come?”

Castiel is quiet for a few moments, thinking it through before speaking. “Because I was really excited about having a new project to take on. I _know_ it’s a good idea and it’ll help so many omegas in Aelam. And I went into that meeting thinking that there was no way anyone could disagree with what I was saying but Raphael still found a way to. It’s… I just… I feel so _powerless_ sometimes, you know? Just because of my status, I can’t be taken seriously. I can’t make a difference on my own, and I’m supposed to rely on those idiot alphas to help me? It’s not going to happen. How many things am I going to miss out on because I can’t get people to listen to me?”

“Believe me, I understand what you mean about being treated unfairly. There just comes a point where you get sick of being pushed around. That’s when you start to really defend yourself.”

Castiel turns his head to look at Dean curiously. “So what do you do?”

Dean smirks. “Kick their ass if I have to. Works a treat, to be perfectly honest.”

“Maybe I should try that with the council.”

“Now _that_ I’d like to see.”

Castiel lets out a small chuckle, the feel of it giving his muscles relief after a long period of glowering. “Well… it couldn’t hurt, could it? If you gave me some tips?”

Dean raises his eyebrows. “What, you mean like, in combat?”

“Well, yes. Maybe if I had those skills I’d be more able to leave the grounds and meet with people. It’d be easier for me to make a difference that way.”

A smile which Castiel can only describe as impressed forms on Dean’s face. “Sure. I could teach you a thing or two.”

The remains of Castiel’s bad mood finally lifts, and he smiles. “I look forward to it.”

“Okay. So, just let me know when you wanna start?”

“As much as I’d like to say now, we’ll have to go back inside for dinner very soon. We could start tomorrow?”

“Of course.”

X

Castiel’s father apologies for Raphael’s behaviour over dinner.

“It’s fine, you don’t need to apologise on his behalf. I know he isn’t sorry,” Castiel says. He isn’t in the mood for this conversation now. Yes, Raphael overstepped boundaries today but Castiel’s anger has mostly dissipated after talking to Dean.

Castiel’s father continues. “I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to step in or not. I know you normally prefer to fight your own battles and I didn’t want to take that from you –”

“I know. I like to be able to defend myself.” Castiel has a sip of water and then smirks. “But feel free to tell him off when I’m not in the room though.”

“Oh I did after you left, don’t you worry. You should have stayed for longer though; Raphael was only trying to irritate you and we could have started to discuss financing your new project.”

Castiel looks back down at his dinner, pushing his food around the plate with his fork but not feeling too hungry anymore. “I know. I don’t know why I gave up so fast, Raphael just really bothered me today.”

“You can’t let him affect you like that, babe. You know how he can be.”

“He still surprises me sometimes, though.”

“Yes, he’s very prejudiced, I know.”

“Exactly. What he said about Dean was completely uncalled for.”

Castiel’s father gives him a strange look. “I was referring more to what he said about omegas in heat but… yes, that too.”

Castiel goes slightly hot under his collar and he shifts in his chair. He isn’t too sure why Dean was the first thing that came to mind but he knows he doesn’t want his father to think anything peculiar of it.

Castiel decides to just swiftly change the topic and says, “Well, maybe I could come to the next meeting and try again.”

“That would be great.”

They both return to their dinners, although that strange heat under Castiel’s skin still lingers.

X

Castiel and Dean wait until after lunchtime when the sun is at the highest point in the sky before they begin their training the next day. They decide to go outside on the grass, feeling that the fresh air and open space will be a good help.

Realistically, Castiel knows that he wouldn’t actually physically assault a member of the council (however amusing the thought may be), but he is hoping that having Dean teach him a few of these skills will help him feel more like he actually has the power to influence the people around him.

Earlier, Dean had instructed Castiel to wear comfortable clothes that will give him a good range of movement. Now, the two of them stand facing each other on the grass, seemingly both a little unsure of how to proceed.

“I’m not gonna get in trouble for teaching you this stuff, am I?” Dean finally says with a smirk.

“Don’t worry; I personally believe this is all highly necessary. There may come a day when Uriel and Raphael need to be put in their place.”

“And that is a day I look forward to seeing. Alright, let’s get started. We’ll start off slow; I’m going to teach you what to do if you’re ever caught in an attack.”

The thought is a scary one but Castiel remains stoic. If he ever wants to have independence in his life, he needs to address the likely possibility of an attempted assault. “Okay.”

“First off, the most effective thing you can do? Run like hell.”

Castiel raises his eyebrows. “Excuse me?”

“Nothing to do with fighting, I know, but if you’re approached by an attacker you need to do everything you can to escape before any kind of contact is made. Run towards where people are – houses, shops, anything. Draw attention to yourself as much as possible. Shout for help and scream and kick up a massive fuss. It’s the fastest way to scare away the attacker.”

“I understand.”

“If the attacker is too close and you’re worried you won’t be able to outrun them, your first weapon is still your voice. Scream bloody murder if you have to, alright?”

“Yes, scream like crazy. I can do that.”

“Only if you’re in a position where you can’t run should you start to fight back, so what I’m gonna do is teach you the most effective places on the body for you to hit. First off, if your attacker is close to you, start pushing them away before they try anything on you; let them know that you are not easy target and you’re not gonna lie back and take it. For now, let’s pretend I’m an attacker.”

Dean closes the gap between him and Castiel in record speed, and Castiel nearly stumbles backwards in surprise. Dean doesn’t flinch, looking down at Castiel with a firm expression and hard eyes. It’s a little frightening to see Dean like this, staring down at Castiel with something akin to malice, like he could be capable of hurting him.

When Castiel does nothing but stand there and blink up at his protector, Dean’s expression softens. He takes hold of Castiel’s wrists and brings his hands up to his strong chest. “You gotta push me away, Cas.”

Castiel tries not to blush, muttering a small, “Oh.”

He obediently pushes at Dean’s chest, trying to ignore the small part of his brain which feels sad at the sentiment.

Dean doesn’t move an inch. Castiel sees him trying to bite back a smirk. “You wanna try that again, Your Highness?”

That little part of Castiel that had been unhappy at pushing Dean away is quickly squashed by the rest of him wanting to prove to Dean that he is competent. That he can be independent. That his smaller, omega body won’t stop him from being a fighter.

Unfortunately, the second push is just as effective as the first one. Dean can’t help snorting in amusement this time.

Castiel is equally as amused but he tries to pretend he isn’t. “Well, this isn’t exactly a fair fight, is it? You’re a big, hulking alpha!”

“Oh, Cas, you flatter me. You’re right though; I guess compared to me your little, delicate body just can’t really compete.”

Castiel’s mouth drops open. “ _Excuse me_?”

“Well, it’s true, isn’t it? Omegas are so much weaker compared to everyone else.”

Castiel grits his teeth and glares up at Dean, using his frustration as momentum to reach out again and shove Dean with all his might.

Dean staggers backwards.

The two of them blink at each other for a moment before grinning.

“Knew that’d work,” Dean says as he repositions himself. “You’ve got the strength in you, just needed to find it. Remember if you’re ever actually caught in an attack, you’ll be filled with adrenaline so you’ll be stronger. Make sure you’re pushing with your whole weight, not just your arms. Try it again.”

They do this a few more times until Castiel can’t deny that he is out of breath and needs a small break. Even though he can push Dean a bit, it’s still evident that Dean is about five times stronger than he is. It’s rather exhausting trying to fight against him.

“That’s good, you’re doing good,” Dean says as Castiel sits down on the grass and has a drink of water. Castiel offers Dean some of the water which he takes. “It’s all about using your legs and pushing your whole body into it. And having a ‘can do’ attitude, of course.”

Castiel gives a breathless laugh. “All an omega needs, really.”

“We’ll take a short break and then we’ll move on.”

When Castiel has caught his breath, they both stand again.

“Now, we’re gonna go through the best places on the body for you to hit – you’re gonna want to target places which will hurt the most and won’t use as much of your energy. Only push the attacker to let them know you’re a fighter. Don’t do it for too long because you’ll get tired quickly.”

“I get that. If someone attacks me they’ll probably be bigger than me, won’t they?”

“There’s a good chance. Most attackers will go for those who are generally smaller because they think they’ll be easier targets. You’ve just gotta prove that that’s not true.”

“Alright. Teach me how, then.”

“So, there are several places on the body which you should aim for. It all depends on the distance between you and the attacker, and you’ll only have a few seconds to decide. If you’re close, you’ll need to use your arms and hands. One of the best places to hit is the eyes. Use your knuckles –” Dean takes hold of Castiel’s hand and carefully bends his fingers to bring his knuckles to a sharp point, making Castiel’s skin tingle at the touch. Then, he pulls Castiel’s knuckle up to his eye but stops just short of making contact. “– like this to jab them in the eye. It’s really painful and it’ll blur their vision enough to give you time to try and get away. Let’s give that a practice; I’ll come up close and you get into position, but please don’t actually jab me, okay?”

Castiel smiles mischievously. “I’ll try.”

Dean darts forward, pretending to grab him. Castiel retaliates accordingly, backing away enough so he can gain enough force to swing his hand up to Dean’s face, stopping just before he actually hurts Dean.

“Good,” Dean says. “You’re a quick mover.”

“Maybe what I lack in strength, I could make up for in speed.”

“Exactly. That’ll come in handy; I’ll teach you how to use that to your advantage. Next place of attack; the nose.”

Dean proceeds to show Castiel how to use the heel of his palm to place a well-aimed attack on the nose, a sure way to break the bone. Dean is taking a rather hands-on approach to this training which is something Castiel hadn’t expected. Or, perhaps it isn’t the physical contact that Castiel hadn’t been expecting; more the way the physical contact is making him feel. As Dean gently moves Castiel’s hand into the right position, Castiel watches and does his best to remain indifferent.

Dean’s hands are large and calloused but his touch is soft. The action itself is nothing spectacular or note-worthy, simply an innocent brush of hand against hand, but Castiel finds himself committing it to memory for fear of this level of physical tenderness from his protector being a single occurrence. Dean pauses to look at Castiel and smile as gentle as the breeze that stirs around them, and Castiel’s heart soars in response.

But the moment is over faster than it came about, broken by Dean clearing his throat and taking a small step back. His voice is lower, quieter, when he says, “So, just keep your hand like that and push upwards; that’ll cause the most damage.”

Castiel nods in a vague daze. “Should we… try that one…?”

“Yeah… yeah.”

Castiel brings his hand up to Dean’s face in a pretend attack as Dean dodges out of the way, though neither of them show as much conviction as before. Castiel is suddenly finding it rather difficult to concentrate on their training. There appears to have been some sort of shift in energy between the two of them; a stir of adrenaline which has let loose a swarm of butterflies in Castiel’s belly. Whilst the sensation is exhilarating, it gives Castiel a sense of foreboding – that he may be stepping into territory he really ought not to.

Being distracted this way is certainly not ideal in the middle of a combat training session. Castiel discovers this the hard way by being so lost in his own head that he completely misses Dean’s instructions to stop the exercise and take a break, and instead aims another hit at Dean’s face. Dean is unprepared, and receives a sharp strike to the nose for the trouble.

“ _Ah_ , goddammit, Cas!” Dean yells, head back and holding his assaulted nose.

Castiel’s mouth drops open. “Oh my… Dean I… I’m so sorry!”

He rushes forward to try and inspect Dean’s face, all feelings of confusion and tension from the previous five minutes already forgotten.

“Can I see?” he says, attempting to bring Dean down to his eye level.

“I jus’ need some ice,” Dean says thickly through the small trickle of blood now leaking from his nose.

“Let me take you to the kitchen.”

Castiel takes hold of Dean’s arm and gently pulls him along, heading back to the castle.

Once in the kitchen, Castiel bustles around pulling out a chair for Dean, taking some ice from the freezer and collecting a clean dish towel. Dean hasn’t said a word since they returned to the castle, and Castiel is terrified that his new friend is mad at him. As he frets, his frustration only builds. He has been doing so _well_ this past month; managing to befriend Dean and not have him think that Castiel is weird or awkward like most others seem to. The two of them had a true connection, and they had bonded so quickly because of it. And now Castiel has gone and ruined it all with one haphazard smack to Dean’s face.

Castiel is so busy wrapping up the ice in a towel and panicking himself with his own thoughts that he almost doesn’t hear Dean’s snicker. He turns to look at him in surprise.

Dean is grinning at him from behind his bloody hand. When he knows he has Castiel's attention, he sighs dramatically and taunts, “I try to be nice, teach you something new, and this is the thanks I get…”

Castiel’s demeanour relaxes and he collapses down onto the chair beside Dean, almost feeling foolish for thinking their friendship would be over. He replies, “Please don’t tease me, I feel awful.”

The tremendous guilt he is feeling must reflect on his face, because Dean quickly smooths his expression into a neutral one. “Hey, look at me.” He waits until Castiel makes eye contact before saying firmly, “It’s fine, Cas, honestly.”

Castiel is thoroughly unconvinced. “I made you bleed, Dean.”

“I’ve dealt with much worse. Don’t worry about it, Cas, there’s no broken bone and I’ll be good as new soon enough.”

With a nod, Castiel relents. He brings the ice towel up to Dean’s face, holding it against his sore nose to sooth the swelling. The two of them sit in amicable silence for a few moments, the only movement between them being Castiel’s hand as he repositions the ice.

“When you say you’ve dealt with much worse…” Castiel asks. “What do you mean by that?”

Dean winces and Castiel suspects it may be due to more than just the pain in his nose. “Exactly what it sounds like; I’ve had injuries much worse than a busted nose before. But that’s probably a story for another time.”

Castiel accepts the response without another word. It is clearly a sore subject for Dean so Castiel will not push him. He can only hope that one day Dean feels comfortable enough with him to share these darker parts of his past, and when that day comes, Castiel will be there to comfort him.

Dean’s cheeky smirk returns soon enough. “So, do I at least still have my looks?”

It pulls a genuine laugh from Castiel. He takes back the towel to replace the ice inside, using this as an excuse to hide his rapidly blushing cheeks. He mutters to the towel in his lap, “You know you do.”

“You’re right; I should never have doubted myself.”

The return of their friendly banter relieves some of Castiel’s anxieties that sprouted during their training session this afternoon, and Castiel allows himself to calm down and return Dean’s teasing. “Be careful, if your head gets any bigger you won’t be able to fit through the door.”

They both laugh and fall into an easy exchange that they’ve probably already had a dozen times before; all smiles and playful comments.

Those butterflies in Castiel’s belly are still there though; awakening at every prolonged eye contact and flash of Dean’s smile. Castiel knows he will need to ponder the cause of these butterflies at some point, but for right now, he is perfectly happy simply being with Dean and enjoying the company of a very good friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, a hundred apologies for this chapter being so late; since the start of the year I've been on a placement which was taking up literally all of my time and energy, but it's over now, thank the lord.
> 
> Thank you for reading! More frequent updates from now on. 
> 
> [Link to my tumblr](http://wingit-spn.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Sidenote: I sat down to write all that self-defence training stuff and realised I know literally nothing about it so I spent a good few hours researching self-defence for beginners. The whole thing took aaaaages to write, but on the plus side, I now know how to effectively kick someone's ass.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel's return home leads to some interesting realisations for Castiel.

“You’re chirpy today,” Dean says to Castiel as he walks him down to the dining room for breakfast the following Saturday morning.

Castiel beams. “Gabriel is coming home today and I haven’t seen him since we hired you. I would never tell him this but I’ve missed him.”

“Where’s he been this time?”

“I don’t know, he doesn’t often tell me. He’s probably been visiting a new city and drinking a lot of wine.”

“Sounds like the life.”

“It is. He goes wherever he pleases and then comes home when he wants better quality food.”

Dean laughs as they reach the entrance of the grand dining room. This is where the royal family eats their meals, though with most of the Novaks away travelling, it tends to just be Castiel and his father at the table.

Dean bows before Castiel and welcomes him into the room with a flourish of his hand and a vague French accent. “We have arrived, Your Highness.”

Castiel curtsies in response, saying just as exuberantly as Dean, “Why thank you very much, Protector.”

Dean stays until Castiel is seated and then leaves down the staircase to the kitchen where the servants eat. Castiel watches him go with a heavy heart. The sight of Dean walking away and leaving him is not one Castiel is fond of, and he has quickly grown to dislike the times when Dean isn’t near.

Castiel’s breakfast is served and he begins to eat with only the guards at the door for company. This is another reason why he’s very much looking forward to Gabriel’s return; Castiel is often left by himself when his father is too busy to spend time with him and whilst Castiel appreciates the solitude most of the time, occasionally the quiet can be a little deafening.

His father finally arrives when Castiel is finishing his last mouthful of eggs.

“Morning, sweet pea,” his father says in a voice that suggests he didn’t get much sleep.

“Good morning. You seem a little tired, are you alright?”

“I was up half the night with the council.”

That’s all the explanation Castiel really needs. Even a man with as strong a will as the King can be thoroughly drained from spending that long with such a tedious group of people. “You poor thing. Make sure you have a big breakfast to cheer yourself up.”

The King collapses into the chair at the head of the table and starts to fill his plate. Castiel had been planning on heading to the main doors to wait for Gabriel now that he has finished his own meal but he feels bad for leaving his tired father.

“Gabriel is coming home today,” Castiel tells him.

“Oh yes, I almost forgot. What time?”

“I’m not sure. I was going to wait for him in the main entrance –”

His father interrupts him with a wave of his hand. “Go then, honey, you don’t need to sit around for me.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, it’s fine. I won’t be much company anyway.”

Castiel stands up from his seat, kisses his father’s cheek and then heads to the servants’ staircase to fetch Dean.

“Where’re you going?” his father asks through a yawn.

“To get Dean.”

“Don’t waste your legs.” His father turns to one of the guards by the door and says, “Go and tell Dean that Castiel is ready to go.”

Castiel bites his tongue as the guard passes him and heads down the stairs. He has always hated the way the servants are treated; even his father speaks to them like they’re objects rather than people. Yes, the servants are there to do a job but there is no need to be rude and give them such trivial tasks to do. To him, there doesn’t seem much point in sending a guard to get Dean when Castiel is young and healthy enough to walk down the stairs and do it himself.

The guard comes back with Dean a minute later. Castiel can’t help smiling at the sight of his protector. He doesn’t quite remember when he became so reliant on Dean’s company but Castiel decides he isn’t going to question it now.

Dean smiles in return and they both leave the room, Castiel casting a quick goodbye to his father who responds with a sleepy wave.

On days when Gabriel returns home, he usually arrives around mid to late morning, depending on how far he has had to travel. Castiel doesn’t mind waiting around for him (to be perfectly honest there isn’t much else for him to do anyway), especially since he has Dean to amuse him.

Castiel and Dean decide to keep themselves occupied while they wait by playing a game of horseshoes. Dean shows off a bit; he has a rather impressive aim and his horseshoe hits the target on the wall almost every time he throws it. Castiel just stands back and watches him, a little smile forming on his face as he sees just how proud and smug Dean gets at every successful throw.

“Your turn,” Dean says after five throws, handing Castiel the horseshoe with an air of superiority about him. “I’m sure you’ll be a very worthy runner-up.”

Castiel just takes the horseshoe without a word, moving to stand where Dean had previously been and taking aim.

With a neutral expression and minimal to-do, Castiel sends the horseshoe soaring across the room to land directly in the centre of the target, with the next four attempts following suit.

Castiel turns back to Dean with an amused smirk.

Dean stands gaping at the target for a moment before looking at Castiel with raised eyebrows, mouth formed to talk but with no words coming out.

Castiel pretends to dust off his shoulder. “Don’t worry, Dean, you’re a _very_ worthy runner-up.”

That kick-starts Dean’s ability to speak again. “Not just a pretty face, are you?”

“Nope. There’s a lot you don’t know about me.”

“For real, do you practice archery? You’re good.”

Castiel scoffs. “Please, like Daddy would let me near a bow and arrow.”

Dean goes to collect the horseshoe from the target in preparation for the next round when there’s suddenly the sound of loud chatter and crunching footsteps on the gravel outside.

“I think that’s Gabriel!” Castiel says, skipping to the main entrance and waiting for the guards to unlock the grand doors. Dean positions himself in front of Castiel so that he is protected from any potential danger should it not be Gabriel who walks through the door.

Sure enough, when the doors have been opened it is Castiel’s older, high-spirited brother who saunters through, and Castiel immediately rushes forward past Dean and throws his arms around Gabriel’s shoulders. Gabriel, only slightly taken aback by sudden onslaught of little brother, quickly sweeps Castiel into a tight hug, laughing at the attention.

“Well, looks like someone missed me!” Gabriel says.

“In your dreams,” Castiel scoffs light-heartedly, though the bite of the insult is probably lost as he nestles closer into the crook of Gabriel’s neck.

Gabriel pinches Castiel’s side in retaliation and then begins to pull away. Castiel doesn’t let him though. Since meeting Dean and seeing how much Dean misses his brother, it has made Castiel more appreciative of his own family. He understands how important it is for him to make the most of the time they spend together, because nobody can know when it could be taken away.

Gabriel makes a questioning noise in the back of his throat but doesn’t say anything. He just provides Castiel with the affection he is clearly craving and waits patiently, giving him a kiss on the temple to pacify him. This is one of the many reasons why Gabriel is his favourite sibling; despite all their teasing, Gabriel is often Castiel’s rock. He gets Castiel in a way that nobody else does, he understands when Castiel needs support and when he needs space, and he never shies away from indulging him in an embrace like this. Whilst Castiel loves Michael, he really is the complete opposite of Gabriel. Castiel thinks he’d probably die of shock if Michael willingly pulled him into a hug.

Castiel eventually pulls away with a small smile.

“You alright, bunny?” Gabriel asks him. Castiel can always tell the level of concern Gabriel has for him depending on his choice of nickname; the more worried he is, the sweeter the name. It will range from something innocuous and cute like ‘bunny’ all the way up to the delightful ‘horse breath’.

“I’m fine,” Castiel reassures him. “How was your trip? What did you get up to this time?”

“It was a lot of fun, I’ll tell you that.” As Gabriel launches into his story they begin to head up the stairs, surrounded by Dean and the guards who are carrying Gabriel’s luggage. “I met this group of dancers out west in this little town. They partied _hard_ and they were literally giving away red wine. Apparently there was a defect in it that made you hallucinate or some shit but it turned out to be an excellent night.”

“ _Gabriel_ ,” Castiel scolds. “What if you’d fallen ill?”

Gabriel ignores him in favour of giving him a playful wink. “I met this little omega too. We had a really great… conversation.”

Castiel has spent enough time with Balthazar to know exactly what Gabriel is getting at. “You’re disgusting.”

“And proud of it, Cassie. So what kind of wondrous adventures have you been having lately?”

“Well, I discovered that it takes one hundred and two steps to get from the dining room to my bedroom,” Castiel responds, a slight amount of bitterness showing through his voice.

Gabriel’s snort of amusement is laced with sympathy. “I wish I could bring you with me on a trip some time. I think it’d probably give poor Dad a heart attack at some of the things you’d get up to but you’d have the time of your life.”

Castiel agrees. Whilst he thinks he’d prefer a different kind of trip to Gabriel – one without lots of drunken people and large social gatherings – he still appreciates the thought. Just the chance to have that freedom would be the experience of a lifetime for Castiel.

When they reach Gabriel’s room he immediately flops down onto his large, neat bed and sighs with content.

“I do miss these simple home comforts while I’m away,” he says.

Castiel perches on Gabriel’s bed too, smiling back at Dean who stands awkwardly in the doorway, having never been in another member of the Novak’s bedrooms before and being unsure of the rules. Gabriel notices Castiel’s smile and turns to look at Dean for the first time since returning.

“Oh, hey Dean! How’s it going?”

Dean looks to Castiel before answering, almost as if he’s trying to work out what the correct way to respond is. Castiel just encourages him with another silent smile. Gabriel is possibly the only member of the royal family who Dean does not need to be so formal with. “It’s going good, very good.”

“You’re not already getting bored with little Cassie, are you?”

Castiel saves Dean the trouble of replying by slapping Gabriel on the leg. “You’ve been back for no more than twenty minutes and you’re already being mean to me.”

Gabriel laughs and then sits up on his elbows. “So I’m having a little shindig here this evening; just a catch up with some friends but it’s gonna be fun. Care to join?”

Normally Castiel would decline such an invitation but he is eager to spend some time with his brother after so long apart. “Okay, that would be nice.”

“Great. Now, I think if I’m going to be any fun later I’m going to need a little nap.”

Gabriel yanks his boots off and flings them across the room before settling back against his pillows still fully dressed. Castiel chuckles and stands up to leave Gabriel in peace, giving his obnoxious brother a kiss on the forehead before exiting with Dean.

X

A favourite pastime of Castiel’s has always been paying a visit to the castle’s library to peruse the vast book collection. He enjoys reading greatly; the stories provide him with endless, exciting worlds to explore and escape to, a welcome outlet to his own dull life confined within the castle walls. The library has no shortage of these escapes for Castiel, and he savours every last book.

Dean joins Castiel in his search for his next story, but whilst Castiel chatters and makes comments about the books he’s already read along the way, Dean remains quiet.

Castiel does not pick up on Dean’s lack of contribution though. As he flicks through the first few pages of a heavy book entitled ‘Voyagers in Arms’, he asks Dean, “So what do you like to read?”

“Um… I guess I don’t have a preference,” Dean mumbles.

Castiel looks sideways at his protector and raises his eyebrows at the sight of Dean’s pink stained ears. It’s a sign, albeit subtle, that Dean is perhaps a little uncomfortable with the conversation.

Castiel decides to gently prod the topic further, hoping to extract a bit more from Dean. “Do you not like to read much?”

Dean stutters over his words as he replies. “I… It-it’s not that I don’t _like_ to read, I just…”

Castiel looks at him with a patient expression, waiting for Dean to get his words out.

Dean eventually gives up. “You know what, it doesn’t matter.”

Castiel wonders if maybe Dean simply doesn’t think that he’s allowed to read here due to him being a servant. “You’re allowed to read if you want to, you know. The library is for everyone.”

It appears to have the opposite effect that Castiel had been hoping for. The colour tinging Dean’s ears rapidly spreads across his entire face, hot and crimson. Dean ducks his head and mutters, “I… find it difficult to… read properly.”

Castiel’s eyebrows shoot up as he helplessly utters, “Oh.”

Dean rushes to speak again. “It’s not that I _can’t_ read, I just… I dropped out of school really young so I could take care of Sammy and I never had the time or opportunity to pick it back up again.”

“Well, that’s understandable,” Castiel says, trying to reassure his embarrassed protector. “Your brother’s well-being was more important to you.”

“Exactly.” Dean finally makes eye contact with Castiel again though he breaks it quickly, returning his attention to the shelf in front of them. “I’d already learnt basically everything I needed to get by, so it seemed like the best choice.”

“So how much can you read, then? Would you be able to read one of the sentences in this book?”

Dean peers down at the open book in Castiel’s hand. “I can recognise letters and some of the shorter words, and sort of get the gist of what it’s talking about. It just takes me a long time to make sense of it, and all of the letters sort of get a little jumbled in my head sometimes.”

Castiel gazes down at the page too, trying to imagine what it is like for Dean to look at a book and only find a muddled collection of letters rather than another world to get lost in. “Would you like to be able to read? If things had been different, would you have stayed in school and practiced more?”

“Yeah,” Dean says wistfully. “I’ve always loved stories; I used to make them up for Sammy all the time. It’d be nice to know about stories other people have come up with as well.”

Castiel bites his lip as he thinks for a moment. Just because Dean did not have the chance to become a confident reader when he was younger, there is no reason why he cannot start learning again now. Castiel knows that he himself is a skilled reader, and he has plenty of time and patience to help Dean. Would Dean be offended if Castiel offered to teach him?

“If you’d like…” Castiel says cautiously. “I could help you with your reading?”

The look of genuine surprise on Dean’s face is a little heart-breaking to Castiel, as though nobody has ever offered to help Dean in this way before. “You’d do that?”

“Well, yes. You’re teaching me about combat, I could return the favour this way?”

Dean considers it for a moment before giving Castiel a shy smile. “Okay. I’d like that.”

So the two of them sit themselves down at one of the round tables, equipped with plenty of paper and fountain pens to assist them in the spontaneous lesson. Castiel is not a trained teacher by any means but he follows his instincts, beginning by reading single letters with Dean as Dean tells him it has been a long while since he has even looked at a book properly.

Then they progress onto harder sounds like ‘th’ and ‘sh’, which Dean finds much trickier. As he puzzles over the paper, Castiel finds himself staring more at Dean’s chiselled profile than the paper before them. He has never seen Dean vulnerable this way before. Reading is clearly a sore subject for him but he has confided in Castiel, placed his trust in him and allowed him to help. Castiel feels incredibly honoured.

He is stirred from his reverie when Dean looks at him, pink cheeks glowing, and says, “Um, what’s this one again?”

Castiel drags his eyes away from Dean and looks back down at the paper. “Oh, that one’s ‘ch’, as in church.”

“Right, thanks.” Dean glances at Castiel again, licking his lips before continuing. “You know, if I was with anyone else, I’d probably have gotten really defensive and mad about this by now. But it’s different with you, I… I feel like you’re not takin’ the piss outta me, you know?”

“That’s because I’m not,” Castiel says firmly. “I would never try and make you feel bad like that.”

Dean smiles to himself for a moment, looking down at the papers rather than at Castiel. “I believe you. And to be perfectly honest, I wouldn’t believe most people if they said that to me.”

Castiel, without thinking, places a gentle hand on Dean’s arm. His skin is warm to the touch and it’s surprisingly comforting. “Thank you for trusting me.”

Dean lets out a small sigh and then grins, teasing Castiel with no real menace behind his words, “I know you act like the feisty, independent omega but secretly you’re a big, ol’ softie, aren’t you?”

Castiel removes his hand from Dean’s arm in favour of poking him. “I could say the same for you. The macho, alpha thing is an act, right?”

“Maybe sometimes.”

“Well, your secret is safe with me.”

X

Gabriel’s ‘shindig’, as it turns out, is more fun than Castiel had been expecting it to be. There’s only eight of them altogether; a just about manageable group size for Castiel and whilst everyone apart from him is drinking wine, nobody is ridiculously drunk which he is thankful for. Intoxicated people make Castiel nervous.

Everyone is seated in one of the castle’s drawing rooms by the roaring fire, gossiping and making jokes. Castiel has squeezed himself onto the same armchair as Gabriel, which he would say he has done to make more room for their guests but in actuality, having Gabriel against him keeps him calm in the social setting. Whilst Castiel doesn’t often contribute to the conversation, he enjoys listening.

As for Dean, Castiel can’t currently see him but he knows that Dean is stationed behind him, a constant reassurance in the room of loud personalities.

Whilst most of Gabriel’s friends don’t address him directly, one beta named Fergus Crowley who is seated on the adjacent couch is friendly enough to engage him. Castiel has met Fergus a few times before, and has found him to be a tad smarmy but mostly inoffensive.

“Your peace must be shattered now with this idiot back, huh?” he says with a teasing grin, gesturing at Gabriel who is busy having a heated debate with the others about something.

Castiel laughs politely. “I suppose, although without him there can be a little too much peace.”

Fergus tips back the last of his wine. “So tell me, Castiel, when are you going to be married off? Surely it can’t be that far away now.”

It’s a rather probing question that Castiel finds a little discourteous, but he supposes that it’s a common point of interest when speaking to a teenage omega. He gets the feeling that Fergus is one of those people who can be rude without even realising it. “I’m almost sixteen, so I’ve still got some time left. My father wants me to have a bit of freedom before I settle down like that.”

“Oh really? What kind of things are you going to do with that freedom?”

“I don’t know. There’s not much my father allows me to do, but I’m still working on promoting omega rights as much as I can.”

Fergus gives him a smirk that is just a touch too predatory for Castiel’s liking. “If you’re ever bored and short of ideas I could give you some help.”

Castiel presses himself a little closer to Gabriel and responds to Fergus with a tight-lipped smile. “I’m sure I’ll manage by myself.”

Fergus raises two hands to signal acceptance of Castiel’s answer. “What are your thoughts on travelling? I’m sure you could come along with the lot of us next time we go somewhere new.”

“I’d like to travel, but I’m not allowed to leave the castle grounds by myself.”

“That’s a pity. Well, in that case we could always bring the fun to you.”

What an unsavoury thought. Castiel just says, “Thank you, but I’m not much of a party person.”

At that, Castiel turns his head back to Gabriel and his other friends, effectively ending the conversation with Fergus.

As the evening goes on, everyone gets progressively more drunk and as a result, wilder. Castiel watches them with quiet amusement. He finishes his last sip of tea and gets up to make another, deciding to have one more cup before going to bed.

Fergus is quick to ask Castiel where he’s going when he gets up off the armchair which Gabriel has long abandoned in favour of dancing on the table.

“Just to make some more tea,” Castiel responds before heading to the little table against the far wall holding the tray of teapots, milk and sugar.

Castiel sets down his empty cup and busies himself by picking up a clean spoon and debating whether he wants sugar this time or not.

His internal debate is cut short at the feeling of a groping hand on his behind.

A cold shudder rushes through Castiel’s body. The spoon clatters to the ground as he turns, eyes wide and questioning. For a brief second he meets the eyes of Fergus, who rather than shying away after being caught making such an inappropriate advance on the virgin prince, simply leers at him with all the smugness of a cat who got the cream.

Castiel gulps.

Fergus’ amusement is short-lived. A gust of air hits Castiel as the ground is swept from beneath Fergus’ feet and then he’s falling, dropping to the floor with a loud bang and a string of curse words.

Dean sits atop him, rendering the beta immovable with strategically placed arms and legs and a growl in the back of his throat. Castiel blinks at the sight, his heart pounding against his chest.

Dean’s voice is lower than Castiel has ever heard it before and the shiver it sends down Castiel’s spine is exhilarating in more ways than one. “Touch him again and I’ll break your legs.”

In that moment, the sound of a dropping pin could have been heard. Gabriel and his friends have all stopped their chatter to stare open mouthed at the scene before them, nobody wanting the breach the silence by saying the first word. Castiel remains fixed in place, barely able to hear anything over the sound of rushing blood in his ears.

This is the first time Dean has protected him. Of course, Dean has been protecting him for weeks but this is the first time Dean has actually had to defend Castiel from any real sort of threat or danger. Whilst Fergus’ actions hadn’t been life-threatening, it had been wildly inappropriate and potentially upsetting for such a young, inexperienced omega.

Castiel personally hadn’t known what to expect when Dean defended him for the first time, to be perfectly honest, he hadn’t given it much thought. He’d have imagined that Dean would be quick as well as strategic in his actions, as demonstrated with Fergus. But it is a surprise to Castiel that Dean is being so simply _aggressive_ , like Fergus has personally offended him by treating Castiel in such a way.

Dean has gotten this worked up because somebody else put hands on Castiel.

It’s… it’s…

It’s sexy.

Castiel’s realisation makes a strange heat flush through his entire body, heating his face and waking up those damn butterflies in his belly. Is this what sexual arousal feels like? Castiel isn’t sure he likes it; he’s overwhelmed and trembling and Dean still has Fergus trapped on the ground right before him, and Castiel doesn’t know if he should say something or simply let Dean resolve the situation himself.

Dean takes hold of the back of Fergus’ hair and yanks his head up in Castiel’s direction, snarling, “Apologise.”

Fergus’ eyes are bulging and his cheeks are stained with colour. “Okay, _fine_ , I’m sorry!”

Dean lets go of Fergus all at once with no warning, letting him tumble back down with a yelp. He straightens up and finally looks at Castiel, expression fierce and body tense. “Your Highness, I think it’ll be in everyone’s best interests for me to remove this scumbag from the castle.”

Castiel barely hears him; having Dean’s eyes on him has sent his body into a fluster complete with a new kind of aching between his legs. “Y-yes, alright.”

Fergus gets up himself. Now that he’s free of Dean’s grip some of his bravado seems to have returned. “Jeez, not like I murdered somebody.”

In one swift move, Dean grabs Fergus’ wrist and twists his arm up behind his back, making him cry out in pain. “Unless you want to leave here in a matchbox, I’d suggest shutting the hell up.”

Everyone watches as Dean frogmarches Fergus out of the room, shutting the door behind them with a finalising thud.

Gabriel rushes up to take hold of Castiel’s shaking hands. His eyes are still hazy from the wine but the incident has done an impressive job of sobering him up.

“I’m so sorry, Cassie, I had no idea he’d be like that. If I’d known I never would have invited him,” Gabriel says, face crumpled and apologetic.

“It’s okay; it’s not your fault.” Castiel feels oddly disconnected from the room, like his mind is swimming with too many thoughts that he can hardly keep up with.

“Did he hurt you?”

“No, he just grabbed me somewhere he really shouldn’t have.”

“What a _pig_ , he _knows_ how inexperienced you are.” Gabriel lets out a loud sigh. “How do you feel?”

“A little shaken, but I’m sure I’ll survive.”

“Do you want to sleep in my bed tonight?”

“No, thank you, I’ll be fine. Just please don’t tell Daddy about what happened; you know what he’s like.”

“Okay, sure. Do you wanna stay up with us a little longer?”

“No, I think I’d just like to go to bed.”

Castiel waits until Dean returns, sans Fergus, and then quietly asks him to escort him to his bedroom.

Their usual night-time routine is carried out in silence. Dean is still tense but Castiel isn’t going to talk about tonight with him. He can’t. His mind is still reeling with everything that has just happened and he needs time away from Dean to think.

The silence between them isn’t broken until Castiel sits down on his bed, the point where they usually bid each other goodnight.

It’s Dean who speaks first, and he looks edgy. “Cas, I didn’t do anything wrong tonight, did I? Because he was a predator and he had no right to touch you that way –”

Castiel feels guilty then; he hadn’t meant for his silence to make Dean feel bad because he really hadn’t done anything wrong. “No, of course not! You were just doing your job.”

“Good. Well, I don’t plan on letting him near you any time soon. I don’t care that he’s friends with your brother; he’s a risk to you and I’m not gonna let him lay another finger on you.”

There’s the overprotectiveness again, and with it comes another wave of giddiness through Castiel’s body. “I don’t think Gabriel is going to be spending much time with him from now on, but thank you.”

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Yes, I think I’ll feel better after some sleep.”

“Well, I’ll leave you in peace then. Goodnight, Cas.”

“Goodnight, Dean.”

As soon as Dean closes the door behind him, Castiel flops down onto his bed with a heavy sigh, wriggling under the blankets and wrapping up tight to protect himself from the outside world.

As he lies back, he tries to sift through the chaotic thoughts in his mind. His heart is still pumping slightly too fast after the events of the evening, and he tries to slow it down through purposeful, steady breaths.

Fergus’ treatment of him tonight had certainly made Castiel’s skin crawl. Castiel’s opinion of the man has quickly changed and he now sees him as the pervert he clearly is. But whilst the inappropriate touching had bothered Castiel, it is not the main reason he feels so agitated. For one, having a hand on his rear is nothing new to him after growing up with Balthazar for a best friend. But mainly, Castiel’s mind is solely focused on Dean.

Yes, Castiel experienced his first bout of sexual attraction tonight and it scared him. He has never had thoughts about Dean, or _anybody_ , in this way before and Castiel doesn’t quite know what to do with himself. Tonight Dean had been the epitome of alpha; strong, controlled and protective. Normally, Castiel is less than impressed when an alpha puts on a display to aid an omega like that (in his opinion, omegas should have the chance to defend their own selves), but this time he had been completely star-struck by it.

His realisation of his feelings tonight certainly provides an explanation for those other moments he’s had with Dean, when his heart has fluttered and his mind has raced at Dean’s nearness, his touch, his smile. He doesn’t react like that because he is simply enjoying his friend’s company; it’s because Castiel _wants_ him. Previously Castiel would have simply ignored these moments, disregarding them as meaning nothing but now he finds himself analysing every last one that he can remember: when Dean called him beautiful, their first (somewhat disastrous) combat lesson, when Dean confided in Castiel about his struggles with reading.

Of course, it’s not necessarily bad that Castiel is attracted to Dean of all people – Dean is kind to him, makes him laugh, treats him with nothing but respect and he is also rather handsome. It’s Dean’s position in the castle which is the problem. He is from foreign lands, and a servant no less. If something were to happen with Dean and Castiel presented him to everyone as his lover… Castiel doesn’t even want to imagine the complications, the _backlash_ it would cause. As Aelam’s prince, Castiel is only permitted to marry somebody of another royal family, with wealth and status who has been deemed worthy by Castiel’s father. Dean wouldn’t have a chance in hell, no matter how wonderfully he looks after Castiel.

Castiel huffs and rolls over. Even if Dean reciprocated Castiel’s feelings, it would be futile since no sort of relationship between them would ever be approved of. Therefore, Castiel will simply have to do his best to overlook these feelings because if there’s one thing he is sure of, it’s that he does not want to jeopardise his friendship with Dean.

Besides, it’s likely he has only developed these feelings in the first place because Dean is the first alpha aside from his family who Castiel has ever spent any real time with. Castiel is positive that this is simply a crush, so with any luck it’ll soon be over. He is a rational person and he can control himself until these petty feelings have subsided.

So what if he’s harbouring some more-than-friendly feelings for his protector? Nobody needs to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is up much later than I wanted; the internet in my house broke and I've been suffering withdrawal symptoms for the last two weeks. What did I even do before the internet?!
> 
> But on the bright side, I've completely finished planning out the rest of this fic and I'm really excited about it! Not sure how many chapters this'll be but I think it will be a long one so I hope you all stick with me until the end :)
> 
> (Also apparently most people were illiterate in medieval times so Dean not being able to read wouldn't have actually been a big deal at all but hey, it makes for cute Dean and Cas moments!)
> 
> [Link to my tumblr](http://wingit-spn.tumblr.com/)


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel explains the arrangements of his heat to Dean.
> 
> Trigger warning: Brief discussions of rape.

The following day brings a slight sense of awkwardness between Castiel and Dean. It isn’t anything too major but there is a forced sort of formality between them which hasn’t been there since Dean had first been hired. Castiel is doing his best to speak to Dean as he normally would but every time he looks at his gorgeous protector he is reminded of the inappropriate feelings he has for him, and it makes Castiel’s cheeks burn with embarrassment.

Dean is quiet too. Castiel isn’t sure if something changed for Dean as well last night and he’s feeling in a similar way to Castiel, or if he is simply uncomfortable with Castiel’s odd blushing and flinching around him.

Castiel spends most of the day with Gabriel. He has a slight hangover so he’s not exactly the most stellar of company but Castiel doesn’t mind – it’s an easy way for him to avoid Dean. Gabriel doesn’t pick up on it; any bad feelings he senses from Castiel he puts down to being a result of Fergus’ actions last night, and he proceeds to rant about him using every curse word under the sun.

It’s a Sunday so as per tradition, when the sun begins to fall Castiel makes his way to the small living room that his father and he use for their reading time together. Gabriel had decided not to join them in favour of a very early night’s sleep to try and finally cure the last of his hangover.

“Hi, sweetheart,” his father says when Castiel enters the room. “Come sit.”

Castiel clambers onto his father’s armchair with him, making no attempt to be graceful in his actions. His father huffs at Castiel’s weight on him but still waits patiently for him to settle.

“Still reading about the first castle in Aelam, is that okay?” his father asks. He seems relaxed tonight. Clearly nobody has told him about the events of last night which Castiel is thankful for; just the thought of somebody being inappropriate like that with Castiel sends the King into a rage, often involving angry speeches about ‘executing anyone who threatens to ruin his precious baby’s innocence’.

Yet another excellent reason for Castiel to not act on his feelings for Dean.

Castiel sighs like he’s uninterested but he secretly hasn’t minded the book they’ve been reading together for the past couple of weeks. His response is heavy with sarcasm. “I mean, I don’t think I can live without it at this point.”

“Let’s have less of the sass,” his father says before opening the book up on his lap.

As his father reads, Castiel focuses most of his energy on paying attention to the words rather than looking anywhere in Dean’s general direction. The door where he knows Dean is stationed along with two more guards is just in his line of vision, teasing him with the chance to gaze at his lovely protector. Castiel knows that he shouldn’t but the temptation is rather great.

“… Castiel?”

Oops, his father has been talking to him. Castiel blinks up at him, saying, “I’m sorry?”

“Do you need your ears cleaning out? I said your heat is due in a couple of days. Does Dean know the arrangements?”

Castiel groans quietly. He’d forgotten about his impending heat. His heats come once every six weeks and generally only last around two days but they are truly horrific and he hates every minute of them. The excitement of having Dean around this past month has caused his heat to slip from his mind and he’s been living in blissful ignorance. That’s shattered now.

And what a terrible time it is for his heat as well; it’s not enough that things have been awkward between Dean and him today, Castiel now has to go and bring up the topic of _heat_? He has been blessed by the Gods of misfortune, it would appear.

“No, I haven’t told him yet but I will do tomorrow.”

“Don’t you dare forget. He needs to know in case he’s the only one around when it comes.”

“Yes, I know.”

“I mean it. I will not be pleased if you go into heat with only an unmarried alpha who doesn’t know our customs for company.”

Now _that’s_ an interesting thought which Castiel should definitely immediately squash down and repress before it snowballs. Castiel fights the urge to glance at Dean again and nods.

“I _know_. I’ll tell him in the morning.”

X

Castiel waits until after breakfast the following morning to discuss his heat with Dean. His father is busy and Gabriel has gone to meet a friend so Castiel really doesn’t have a way to avoid Dean anymore without looking suspicious.

“Dean, there’s something I need to talk to you about,” Castiel says. They’d been walking up to the library but Castiel stops them and sits down on the stairs.

Dean sits with him and looks at him with a curious frown. “What is it?”

“Nothing too serious; it’s just that, well… I’m going to… um… soon, I… I’m expecting…”

Dean looks at him with raised eyebrows.

Castiel’s cheeks are burning by the time he finally gets the right words out. “Tomorrow or the day after I’m expecting my next… heat.”

Dean’s face clears with understanding and whilst he looks perhaps a little uncomfortable with the subject, he doesn’t seem nearly as bothered as Castiel. Perhaps heats aren’t such a big to-do where Dean comes from; after all, he had talked about providing for omegas’ heats in his safe house during his interview all those weeks ago.

“Okay?” Dean responds, almost questioning as though he doesn’t quite know what Castiel wants him to say.

“So there’s just a few, you know, arrangements.”

Dean’s brow furrows. “Don’t you just shut yourself away in a room and we leave you to it?”

Castiel frowns in response. Why would he be left alone? “Well, not just any room, I have to stay in my father’s room with him and there can’t be any alphas near me so you’ll have to stay outside. There are guards outside the bedroom doors and on the balcony but none actually in the room with me; I’m only allowed some of our most trusted omega maids, and my father of course.”

For some reason, Dean is looking at Castiel like he just grew an extra head. “Wow. Um… communal. Why your father’s bedroom?”

“So he can make sure that everyone is looking after me properly and so that he can reassure me.”

Dean’s confused expression still lingers, and it’s putting Castiel on edge. Why is it so strange that Castiel has to be looked after by people during his heat?

“What do you mean, ‘reassure’ you?”

“Well, because I’m normally quite upset…” Castiel explains, dumbfounded. His heats cause rather intense pain for him. Ever since his first heat a couple of years ago he’s been told that the pain is normal, and there’s nothing for him to do apart from lie in bed and focus on his breathing, ignoring any _urges_ he feels until they finally pass. The maids are around to cool his head with wet towels and change his sheets since the heat can cause an unpleasant mess beneath him but Castiel has been reassured that as long as he does not touch himself or think of anything untoward, his condition will not worsen.

“Huh,” Dean says. “I knew they could be kinda inconvenient at times but I didn’t think omegas found heats upsetting.”

“Um, I would imagine they _do_ ,” Castiel scoffs, highly defensive. He has never spoken to another omega about heat before but he would’ve thought that their experiences are similar to his. He has never been told that his heats are anything out of the ordinary.

“Oh,” is all Dean replies with.

 _Inconvenient_ , Dean had said. Not quite the word Castiel would have used. But as his father explained to him when Castiel was struck with his first heat, heats are simply something he has to endure. They are not for anything besides making babies with his future husband, and any unsavoury thoughts he may have during his heats must be immediately repressed. His father says it would be a sin in the eyes of the Lord to do anything else.

“Well, anyway,” Castiel says, changing the subject before he gets too wound up over Dean’s blasé attitude. “If I go into heat when it’s just you and me which I’d imagine is quite likely, you need to take me up to my father’s bedroom straight away and alert him. He always tries to reduce his workload when my heat is due so that he can be with me as soon as he can. He’ll sort things from there.”

“Okay.” There’s a moment of silence between them before Dean says, disbelief clear in his voice, “Seriously, your Dad stays in the room with you? And the maids?”

Why isn’t Dean getting this? What does he think actually happens during his heat? “Yes?”

Dean just shrugs. “Whatever. I forget that I’m in a completely different part of the world; everyone does things in their own way, right?”

“Right,” Castiel concedes. He says no more, but feels endlessly sad for the omegas in Lawrence who are left to ignore their urges and endure such pain by themselves. What a peculiar way to live.

X

By the next weekend, the tension between Castiel and Dean has mostly dissipated. Castiel’s heat had arrived the day after his and Dean’s odd talk and had passed without an incident. It had been just as painful and infuriating as usual only this time, the urges pulsing through Castiel’s body had felt different. Like they were calling out for something in particular; something that they hadn’t known was there before.

As always, Castiel had simply repressed them and told himself he was being silly.

In a way, Castiel’s heat has been good for Dean and him since the brief time apart has allowed them both to finally get over what happened on Saturday night and get back to normal with each other.

On Monday, Castiel attends the next council meeting as promised and a small joy this time is that Gabriel is still around to join too. It’s comforting for Castiel to have his brother sitting next to him, and it gives him just that extra bit of confidence he needs to argue against the council.

Gabriel’s presence appears to be more welcomed than Castiel’s by the rest of the council.

“Ah, good to have you back, Prince Gabriel!” Gadreel says as everyone gets seated. “And it’s nice to see Prince Castiel as well, of course.”

“You must catch us up with what you’ve been up to, Gabriel,” Naomi smiles, Bartholomew making an affirming noise next to her.

Gabriel reclines in his chair with a relaxed smile; ever the charmer. “Of course, of course. I thought I’d join you all today to listen to my baby brother’s pearls of wisdom.”

“Well, it’s nice to have you back with us, sweetheart,” the King beams.

Castiel tries to ignore the envious part of him that desperately wishes he had the same kind of charisma as Gabriel. Gabriel is one of those people who can just get along with everyone, and it’s something that Castiel has no talent of and probably never will. He tries not to feel bitter.

As predicted, Castiel’s omega safe house is not the first issue to be discussed, nor is it the second. It’s more like the tenth, and by the time they finally get to it he has rolled his eyes at least a hundred times and Gabriel has managed to fashion a wonderful hat from the paper that had been lying on the table.

The King adjusts his papers and looks down at the next item for discussion. “So, since we didn’t quite get to finish discussing the omega safe house last week…” Bless him for avoiding any mention of Castiel’s fit of temper and subsequent storm-out. “I’d like for us to continue it today. I’m sure we can all agree on the benefits it would have for the omegas in our city.”

“I wouldn’t call it an _agreement_ , but whatever,” Raphael says, leaning back in his chair with his hands clasped together.

The King ignores Raphael’s comment, as he usually does. “So Castiel, can you tell us a little bit more about what you envision for the safe house? What kind of facilities will it have?”

“Well, for the bare minimum it’d need a good amount of bedrooms so the omegas have privacy rather than having to share a communal space. There would need to be a kitchen and washing facilities; basically everything to help them live independently. But as well as that, I think it’d be best to have staff there too, alphas and betas as long as they are trustworthy and respectable of omegas. There will need to be workers there to make sure the omegas are well, to check in any more omegas who are seeking shelter and to keep the house running smoothly.”

Uriel scoffs. “Good luck finding alphas and betas who are willing to work for a few homeless omegas.”

“I can assure you there will be more than a _few_ omegas who would be incredibly grateful for the protection. And the alphas and betas won’t be working _for_ them; they are simply supporting them. I understand that may be hard for you to imagine, you know, being caring and all that but it would be great if you could at least try.”

Naomi pipes up then. “Castiel, sweetheart…” Castiel’s skin crawls at the name. “I think _you_ need to understand that we are simply being realistic. Whilst you have some lovely ideas I have to say I think it’d be difficult to find people who are willing to work in such a place.”

“You’re only saying it’d be difficult because you are being too close-minded about this. There’d be lots of alphas who’d be willing to help. Right, Daddy?”

Raphael smirks. “With all due respect to the King, he only started showing an interest in omegas after you were born.”

The King is quick to snap back. “That’s a bold statement, Raphael, one I suggest you take back immediately.”

“Tell me I’m wrong then.”

“Can we get back to the point, please?” Castiel interrupts, not wanting to hear any more of what Raphael is trying to push. Castiel has always believed that his father is a genuine believer of equal rights for omegas and he doesn’t want Raphael to plant that seed in his head, that his father only agrees with Castiel to humour him. “Is there anybody who is actually in favour of my idea?”

His heart sinks when only the King and Gabriel raise their hands.

“I think we’re just struggling to see the long-term benefits for Aelam, Castiel,” Bartholomew says. “How do you suppose we finance the construction of such a large building, the running of the facilities, the payment of the staff?”

The King interrupts, “This is why we’ve brought it up in our council meeting so we can discuss the financial matters. Costs need to be cut all across the city; this is not a new issue and there are plenty of ways we could do that. We spend our money on far more frivolous things than a safe house.”

“Again, why should a safe house be considered more important than the other things?”

“Where do I begin?” Castiel says angrily. “A better quality of life for _all_ of Aelam’s citizens? Reduced crime rates, fewer babies being born on the streets? Less pressure on orphanages and nurseries?”

“Look, Castiel,” Uriel says. “There will _always_ be these problems. Wherever you go in the world, you will find crime and orphans. Omegas will always be targeted; that’s just the way it is. We simply have to move past it.”

“Oh really? So if, God forbid, I came home raped and pregnant by a random alpha who had decided to ‘target’ me, you’d just tell me to _move past it_?”

Raphael’s eyes flash. “What an odd thing to say. Where on Earth would you meet a random alpha, Castiel? Worried about that servant you hired, are you?”

Castiel splutters, barely able to comprehend Raphael’s ridiculous question. “I’m trying to protect the omegas who live in our city and all you can do is suggest that my protector is going to rape me?!”

“ _Castiel_.” The King’s tone is foreboding. “Stop throwing that word around; it’s not appropriate.”

“ _No_ , Daddy, they’re not being fair!” Castiel’s voice is rising beyond his control now. “How can you just listen to this?”

At the same time, his father and Gabriel both lean towards him and each place a comforting hand on Castiel’s arms, trying to soothe him. Gabriel rubs his arm as he says, “Cassie, you’re getting worked up…”

Castiel jerks away from their touches. “Stop it, I’m not a child. I just don’t understand how most of the people at the table are denying people’s safety!”

Uriel’s voice is louder, indignant now. “May I remind you, boy, that you are fifteen years old and there are still _many_ things that you don’t understand. You are not in a position to be telling _us_ what we should be doing!”

The King then lets out a loud sigh which does an effective job of silencing everyone in the room. “Yet again, this discussion has descended into unreasonable arguments. I think we will put the topic to bed for today and reconvene when everyone has calmed down.”

Castiel lets out a sigh of his own. He’d promised himself he wouldn’t get so worked up in this meeting but here he is again, in the exact same position as last time. He just feels like he’s speaking a different language with these people; it’s like they’re listening but not actually _hearing_ what he’s trying to say.

Naomi says in a gentle but condescending tone, “Your Majesty, Castiel has some nice insights but perhaps he isn’t quite ready to be a part of council meetings just yet.”

Castiel’s blood boils at the patronisation but he says nothing, instead waiting for his father to defend him.

He doesn’t though. He just glances at Castiel and then starts to gather his belongings. “I’m afraid I must dash; I’m late for my next meeting. Castiel, we’ll talk later.”

The King picks up his papers and leaves, with the others beginning to follow suit. Castiel just sits slumped in his seat, his mind still trying to catch up with what had been said during the meeting. Another disappointingly unsuccessful attempt at protecting omegas.

Most of the council leave the room one by one and Gadreel pulls Gabriel aside for a private chat, leaving only Castiel and Raphael at the table. Castiel pulls himself up from his chair and moves away from the table.

Raphael stands up too and walks round the table so that he is close enough to talk to Castiel out of earshot of everyone else. His leer feeds the fire in Castiel’s body. “It’s rather sweet, watching you try so hard.”

The last shred of Castiel’s patience vanishes, along with any more attempts at civility. “I have no interest in talking to you, you arrogant pig.”

Raphael’s eyebrows rise in mock astonishment, his lingering smirk giving away his true feelings. An unwelcome hand reaches out to brush down Castiel’s arm. “My, such a pretty face wasted on such a toxic mind…”

Castiel shoves the repugnant hand away. “Don’t ever touch me.”

It doesn’t faze the self-righteous alpha. In fact, he seems to delight in it. “You’re so easily wound up, my prince. It makes you very fun to tease.”

There is a long, pregnant pause as they stare at each other; a silent competition as to who will be the first to back down. Fuelled by his anger, Castiel refuses to let himself be the weaker one. He will not allow Raphael any sort of victory, no matter how small it may be.

“Cassie?”     

The dense cloud of tension surrounding them is broken by Gabriel’s uneasy voice. The two of them turn their head to the sound, glaring at Gabriel who has finished talking to Gadreel and is now looking between the two of them with concern written all over his face. He adds, “Everything okay?”

Castiel exhales heavily, forcing his anger out with one breath. He doesn’t want to make too much of a scene here. He leaves Raphael to go and stand with Gabriel, wrapping his arms around Gabriel’s shoulders and clasping his wrist with his own hand to keep a tight hold on his brother. “Everything is fine.”

“Yes, everything is marvellous. I’m sure I’ll see you boys soon,” Raphael says with a smile before leaving the room with Gadreel. Castiel and Gabriel both watch him go, holding onto each other for support. Only when the room is cleared do they both relax.

“What was that about?” Gabriel asks Castiel, still keeping a comforting hand on Castiel’s waist.

Castiel drops his head onto his older brother’s shoulder. His fury has mostly worn off now that the vile alpha is out of his sight, and he’s now left feeling bothered and unsatisfied. “He finds it hilarious to watch me struggle.”

“Yeah, he seems to enjoy other people’s misery.”

“I don’t know if it’s just my imagination but he seems to be getting _worse_. He’s always been patronising but lately it seems like he goes out of his way to torment me every time he sees me.”

“Hm. Well, you are growing into a very pretty omega. Maybe he’s harbouring an attraction towards you and is feeling threatened because of it.”

Castiel lifts his head up to scrunch his face at Gabriel. “ _Ew_. That’s an awful thing to say.”

“Might be true though. Especially since alphas like him aren’t used to having an attractive omega around who isn’t afraid to speak their mind.”

“I sincerely hope you’re wrong. Just the idea of him thinking of me that way is enough to give me a nightmare.”

“Maybe you should start inviting Dean to council meetings, you know, just in case Raphael gets even worse.”

“Hm. Maybe,” Castiel repeats half-heartedly. Castiel adores Dean, but he doesn’t want to have to have an alpha to protect him literally _everywhere_ he goes. Being a part of these meetings to fight for his fellow omegas is something personal to Castiel, and he wants to have this just for himself.

Almost as if he’d been summoned at the mention of his name, Dean’s head peeks around the door.

“Hey. I thought you’d fled out the window,” Dean jokes.

Castiel smiles weakly. After his stressful afternoon Castiel decides he needs to do something to relieve his tension. And he thinks he knows just the thing.

“Would I be able to have my next combat lesson now?”

X

Summer is quickly drawing to a close, giving way to flustering winds and temperatures which have begun to drop a little more with each passing day. For this reason and the fact that the afternoon will be ending soon, Castiel asks Dean if they can have their combat lesson indoors instead. After Castiel has changed his clothes they head to a drawing room for the wide space and plush carpets for cushioning, just for safety purposes.

“I’m only agreeing to this,” Dean says as he stretches his arms up to the ceiling. “If you promise not to break my nose again.”

Castiel gives him a look as he copies Dean’s stretch. “I did not _break_ your nose. Although I’m not promising anything today.”

Dean snorts. “You’re right; you clearly can’t be trusted. Maybe we should leave the lesson for today?”

“ _No_. I need some way to curb my anger after that Godforsaken council meeting.”

“ _That’s_ why I’m worried! You’re kinda scary when you’re angry.”

In a burst of confidence, Castiel leans closer to Dean to playfully poke him in the side. “Don’t give me a reason to get angry with you as well.”

“Alright, feisty. Let’s get into it, shall we? So last time we went over the best places to hit on the body using your hands. Can you remember what they were?”

They practice again using hands to attack the eyes and the nose (which Dean only makes a few jokes about before Castiel gives him a sharp pinch on the arm). Dean also introduces another good point for attack; the neck. He explains that hitting the side of the neck with a chopping movement is one of the biggest pain triggers on a person’s body, so if Castiel is confronted by an attacker and he doesn’t have anywhere to run to, the neck is his best bet.

“So,” Dean continues. “That’s how to use your hands to attack. But if you’re a little further away from your attacker then you should use your legs; it’d be pretty stupid to come closer just to use your hands.”

“That does sound like something I’d do,” Castiel admits.

“Well, that’s why I’m here; to teach you _not_ to do the stupid things. So the best place on the body that you should kick is the knees. Hurts like a bitch from any angle, and it’s real hard for the attacker to grab your foot as well. Try it on me so you can see.”

They do the practice a few times with Dean trying and failing to grab Castiel’s ankle so Castiel can see the freedom it gives him to move around. He takes the initiative; when Dean lunges down to grab Castiel he makes effective use of his hands by aiming a hit at Dean’s neck using the chopping motion that Dean had taught him, of course stopping just short of actually hurting him as always.

“Good!” Dean says. “You see? It’s all about making good use of _all_ your body’s built-in weapons.”

It’s becoming a little easier for Castiel, all this combat fighting business. It’s a lot more analytical and challenging than Castiel had first thought it would be – Dean uses his knowledge very efficiently when he is fighting so he knows exactly what to anticipate from his opponent. It’s very clever.

 _And attractive_ , his mind unhelpfully supplies.

Dean then moves them onto the next target on an attacker’s body.

“So there’s one more place on the body that you should kick because it’s like, ridiculously painful and it’ll definitely put your attacker off long enough for you to try and get away. It’s the, uh, groin… area.”

Castiel’s eyes flicker down to Dean’s crotch before he even realises what he is doing. Dean’s pants are not particularly tight or revealing but there’s a bulge there that Castiel can see which makes his mouth fill with saliva. He swallows thickly.

At the sound of Dean clearing his throat, Castiel flinches and looks away, snapping his head so fast he thinks he might have given himself whiplash.

“U-um,” Castiel stammers, caught between wanting to hide his burning face and laugh out loud at the awkwardness. “Right. Okay.”

“So,” Dean rubs the back of his neck – a nervous habit Castiel has noticed before about his protector. “We probably won’t practice that one; don’t want you accidentally hitting me there too, huh?”

Castiel lets out what can only be described as a giggle, and says to the ground, “No, we wouldn’t want that.”

“Definitely not. So yeah, if you’re ever in a bad situation then just aim a good, hard kick right between their legs and you’ll be good to go.”

The two of them are saved from any further embarrassment by the sound of a bell ringing, signalling the start of dinner. They head to the dining room side by side, sharing shy smiles and secret glances the whole way down.

X

A short while after dinner Castiel and Dean head up to the library together, having decided on a quick, impromptu reading lesson before the day draws to a close. They now sit side by side with their resources set out on the table in front of them; a dictionary, plenty of paper and pens. Castiel has decided that for today, he will help Dean to read short, common words that he will likely see all the time in books. Dean already has some familiarity; it’s more of a case of practising what has long been forgotten.

Castiel has written out a sentence on a sheet of paper for Dean to read, but Dean is being continually distracted by the cherry tarts which Castiel had taken from the dinner table earlier for them to snack on.

“You’re the worst student ever!” Castiel chastises Dean along with a light slap to his arm when he sees that Dean isn’t even bothering to look at the paper anymore.

“I’m sorry!” Dean says around a mouthful of tart. “I’m a simple guy; I can’t focus on two different things at once.”

“Fine. Give me the food.”

“No!” Dean holds his tart to his chest with as much care and protection as a mother with their baby.

“Yes! Give it here.”

“No, get your own!”

“Give it!”

They fight for the tart for a few seconds until Castiel is victorious, stealing away Dean’s treat and holding it out of his reach, not caring about the sticky jam that’s now smeared all over his hand.

Dean holds both hands up. “Okay, I may be the worst student but you are definitely now the worst teacher.”

Castiel laughs, feeling lighter than he has done all day. “You can have it back when you read the damn sentence.”

“Bribery, huh? You think that’ll work?”

“I’m willing to try it.”

Dean’s eyes flicker from Castiel to the tart still in his outstretched hand. Castiel can practically see the cogs turning in Dean’s mind, watching him ponder how he is going to win this one.

“I dunno,” Dean says carefully. “I might need more of a reward.”

Castiel raises an eyebrow. “Oh really, like what? A dessert that I haven’t wiped my hand all over?”

“Maybe something a little more.” Dean’s face has softened into a subtle smirk that Castiel can’t seem to look away from. His eyes are bright; he’s up to something and Castiel sees it as a challenge to find out just what Dean is getting at.

Castiel baits, “Maybe… a rhubarb tart?”

“Something more… and maybe not food related.”

“Well…” An idea suddenly springs to Castiel’s mind. It’s daring, definitely inappropriate and just the thought makes his heart start to thump against his ribcage. “If I was really pleased I’d… probably kiss your cheek or something.”

The surprise is evident on Dean’s face. Castiel has nowhere to hide as Dean gazes at him, being unable to do anything but hold his breath and wait for Dean’s reaction.

Dean finally breaks the silence between them. “Throw in my ruined cherry tart and you’ve got yourself a deal.”

“Great,” Castiel blushes.

Dean returns his attention to the paper, now concentrating harder than Castiel has ever seen him. He reads aloud, stumbling over a few words but with Castiel’s gentle prompting, he quickly corrects himself. By the time he finishes reading, Castiel’s palms have begun to sweat and his mind is short-circuiting, thoughts running wild at what he’s planning to do. Granted, a kiss on the cheek isn’t exactly the most wild of touches; after all, Castiel kisses his family’s cheeks all the time. This is a tad different to that though. This is _Dean_ , Castiel’s very good-looking, very _alpha_ protector who’s flawless skin Castiel’s lips are about to make contact with. Instinct tells him this is a risky idea but Castiel finds himself wanting to throw caution to the wind and just do it anyway.

What harm could it do, after all?

After reading the final word Dean looks back up at Castiel, triumphant. “My reward, please?”

Castiel hands Dean his half-eaten tart and says with a big smile, “Here you go.”

“Awesome. And the rest of my reward?”

Castiel plays it innocent, blinking up at him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Dean.”

Dean scoffs. “You tease.”

He looks away and starts to peel the rest of the wrapping away from the tart. Castiel takes the opportunity while Dean isn’t looking at him to lean closer and make his move. He draws in a breath, closes his eyes and places a delicate, sweet kiss on Dean’s cheek, his heart soaring at even the tiniest of contact between them. He quickly pulls back, staring down at his lap but being unable to resist a few shy glances up at Dean to gage his reaction.

Dean is smiling, but it’s not the usual playful smirk or big grin that Castiel has become accustomed to. This one is soft, his eyes are shining with it and it warms Castiel from the inside out.

“Thanks, Cas,” Dean says, reaching out with his free hand and squeezing Castiel’s thigh.

Castiel tries to mask his delight, hiding his wide smile behind his sleeve.

Tomorrow will bring more challenges for him to face; he knows his father is probably going to tell him off for flying off the handle at the council earlier but with the warmth of Dean’s hand still bleeding through his trouser leg, Castiel finds that he doesn’t really care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a slooooow chapter to write; lots of writer's block and editing. Finally fought my way through it!
> 
> So the deal with heats in this story is that if the omega doesn’t have sex or masturbate, they will quickly become very uncomfortable and if their urges continue to be neglected it can lead to pain, as it has done for Castiel. Poor little thing has been taught to repress his urges by the people around him since masturbation is considered a sin to them whereas it isn’t where Dean is from, which is why he was so confused about Castiel’s heat ‘arrangements’. Castiel doesn’t know any different though since nobody has ever really talked to him about it. More to come on heats in future chapters though!
> 
> [Link to my tumblr](http://wingit-spn.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Please leave kudos or a comment if you enjoyed!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel's crush doesn't seem to be going away but he's finding it harder to care.

In the days since Monday, Castiel and Dean have steadily been growing closer. The kiss on the cheek seems to have broken down some sort of barrier between them, and they are now sharing touches more often than ever. Of course, these touches are still very innocuous; lots of shoulder grazes and leg pats but still, every one of them ignites a spark within Castiel and his cheeks have actually started to ache with the sheer amount of smiling he’s been doing lately.

Castiel is still very aware of his crush. He had been hoping it would have faded by now but if anything it is getting stronger. The rational part of him is anxious; this is such dangerous territory to be in and he knows that the most logical thing to do is slowly reduce this level of physical contact between them and stop being quite so flirtatious.

But it’s getting harder and harder to remember this. More often than not Castiel finds himself forgetting altogether about the many reasons why any sort of development between Dean and him would be terrible, and he has to force himself to recount the reasons and come back to his senses. When he’s around Dean though… Castiel’s head is in another world, his logic taking a holiday in the clouds and the impulsive, fun-loving part of him finally shining through like the sun after so many years of being repressed. Dean brings out this side of him, and Castiel doesn’t even feel guilty anymore for acting so playful and silly. Dean is one of the few people who Castiel doesn’t feel is constantly judging him.

There has been a lot of play-fighting and tickling between the two of them recently. Before, Castiel would have been beyond flustered at being in such close proximity with Dean and his devilish hands but now, he just finds the contact exhilarating. He isn’t too sure what this may mean; either he is simply learning to enjoy the sensation of being touched this way or, more worryingly, he is excited about the prospect of something _more_ , something he can barely even bring himself to think about.

But _that_ is something which is a very long distance away from where the two of them are now. It’s cruel to even entertain these thoughts since nothing like that could _ever_ happen with Dean. Castiel hardly understands the thoughts himself; all he knows is that sometimes he will find himself mesmerised by Dean’s lips and his brain will short-circuit, providing him only with the word ‘ _more_ ’.

When Castiel’s mind reaches this point, that’s when his logic finally wakes up again. The thoughts are supressed, and Castiel continues on with his day.

X

Castiel doesn’t actually get to sit down and have a proper talk with his father until four days after the council meeting. His father is always at his busiest the week after Castiel’s heat since he is usually catching up on everything he neglected when he was taking care of his distressed son.

Castiel knows that a discussion about what happened in the meeting on Monday is imminent, and he is not looking forward to it. Usually in meetings his father jumps to Castiel’s defence but he’d been rather quiet on Monday. Castiel has a horrible suspicion that his father is a little disappointed in him.

The King finds Castiel sitting in one of the castle’s many living rooms. Dean had been seated next to him but at the appearance of the King in the doorway, Dean respectfully stands up and moves away to give them a little privacy, though he is likely still able to hear every word of their conversation in the quiet room.

Castiel braces himself as his father takes Dean’s spot on the couch. He does not have high hopes for this discussion.

His father greets him with a smile and a kiss to his forehead.

“So, Castiel, we both know that the meeting on Monday didn’t quite go the way we wanted… again.”

“Yes, I know. I tried to stay calm but I just can’t seem to win with them –”

“I understand that, I really do. But Castiel, they’re the _council_ , of the entire city. Of course they’re tough, and defensive and vocal. That’s their job; they act that way because they’re trying to decide what’s best for Aelam.”

“They don’t have to be so _rude_ about it though!”

“Yes, but you shouldn’t take that so personally. They’re like that with everyone.”

That ignites the first flame within Castiel’s body, making his brow furrow and his back straighten up in a self-righteous display. That, he knows for a fact, is not true. Raphael and Uriel in particular are constantly making snide and subtle references to Castiel’s omega status, his youth, the way he looks. It’s definitely something that the others don’t have to put up with.

He tries to argue this point to his father. “Raphael –”

“No, Castiel, you’re not listening properly. See this is where the problem lies; a small comment will set you off and that’s when you get overexcited.”

The patronisation stings. Castiel generally expects it from most people in his life but he’d always thought his father took him seriously. “That’s not _fair_ –”

His father’s voice is sharp. “ _Castiel_ , do not interrupt me.”

The cocktail of anger that had been bubbling inside him is quickly doused by a wave of shame. He is being reprimanded like a child which is humiliating enough, but this is all taking place with Dean bearing witness just a few feet away. Castiel’s cheeks start to burn.

At his lack of response the King continues to speak in a much softer voice, accompanying his words with gentle fingers that stroke through Castiel’s untamed hair. “Look, baby, you’ve got some great ideas. Better than mine, even. It’s just, I think it’d be better if you didn’t come to the meetings for a little while, you know, whilst you grow and learn how to communicate with them better. You can still have your say; just give your notes to Gabriel or Michael or me and we’ll take your ideas to the meeting instead.”

Castiel swallows around the large lump in his throat and gives a jerky nod, not trusting himself to talk. The fingers in his hair travel down to trace over the back of his neck. He hears a sigh, but he doesn’t dare look up.

“You understand why I’m saying this, don’t you?”

Deep down, Castiel does understand. He knows it’s unprofessional of him to get angry and make a scene in every meeting with the council. He knows his father is just protecting him from further frustration until he learns how to handle himself better. But that doesn’t remove the hurt he feels at being so bluntly excluded from something very important to him.

Castiel gives another non-committed nod.

“I’m sorry, my darling. This’ll work out for the best in the long term though. Being a part of those meetings is like swimming with sharks, and I don’t want you to end up as dinner.”

Castiel manages another gulp which dislodges the lump enough for him to mumble a few quiet words. “I get it.”

“You’ll come back in a few months better than ever, I promise.”

“Right.”

His father lets out a finalising sigh. “Are you going to be alright if I leave you now? I need to meet with Rufus.”

Castiel nods again. “I’ll be fine.”

When the King presses a kiss to Castiel’s forehead and tells him that he loves him, Castiel kisses his father’s cheek in return and obediently mumbles, “I love you too.”

At that, the King leaves.

There’s a pregnant pause as Castiel sits still, silently waiting for Dean to say or do something. He’s so _embarrassed_. It had taken Castiel so long to convince his father to let him join in with the council and now he has gone and thrown it all away just because he can’t keep a lid on his temper.

When Dean sits down cautiously next to him, Castiel can’t bring himself to look up at him.

Dean must be able to sense just how much Castiel has been affected by this because he doesn’t even make one of his teasing jokes. His voice is hesitant when he asks, “Anything I can do?”

The tightness in Castiel’s chest eases at Dean’s gentle tone. He doesn’t give a verbal answer, instead just shakes his head.

Another moment of silence passes before Dean speaks again. “Look, I’ve never been in one of those meetings so I don’t exactly know what went down the other day. But I gotta say, I think that it’s a case of the council not being ready for _you_ yet, not the other way around.”

Castiel huffs quietly, his self-esteem far too low to appreciate what Dean is saying.

“I’m serious, Cas. Everyone on that council has been doing their job for a really long time, right? They’re set in their ways, they have their routines and they don’t like to stray from their traditions. And then you come along. You’re young and beautiful so they wouldn’t have taken you seriously at first but then as soon as you open your mouth, everyone in the room can tell just how clever and bright you are. And you have a sharp tongue and dry wit and you think about the bigger picture instead of just yourself. They’ve probably never met anyone like you before, and they have no idea how to respond to you. It must be really intimidating for them to be around you.”

Castiel has turned to look up at Dean now with barely disguised amazement. “You really think that?”

“I do. You’re kind of amazing, Cas.”

Castiel’s mouth stretches into an uncontrollable grin and his heart skips a beat, ecstatic to be on the receiving end of such lovely words. He inches closer to Dean until he’s near enough to wrap his arms around Dean’s bicep, leaning his head on his protector’s strong, broad shoulder and relishing in the comfort it gives him. “Thank you, Dean.”

“You’re welcome, Cas.”

X

Gabriel is due to be leaving again tomorrow. It fills Castiel with sadness and he considers trying to convince his brother not to go but ultimately decides against it. Gabriel doesn’t always go off travelling just to party; he’s often busy meeting with people, making connections and finding out how the civilians feel which he then takes back to the council to help them make decisions. Castiel whining to him would not prevent him from going, it would only make Gabriel feel guilty, and Castiel does not want to force these negative feelings on him whilst he’s away working.

Despite holding his tongue, Castiel does find himself clinging to Gabriel more than he normally would. When night falls and it’s about time for bed, Castiel asks Dean to walk him to Gabriel’s bedroom instead.

Gabriel is already tucked up in bed, having an early night to prepare him for hours of travelling in the morning. He doesn’t question why Castiel has showed up; he simply lifts up the covers and lets Castiel slide in next to him. They don’t talk much, there isn’t really any need to, they just curl up together and allow each other’s radiating warmth to lull them to sleep.

In the morning when Gabriel’s luggage is packed and he’s ready to go, Castiel says goodbye to him in the main foyer.

“Are you sure you’re okay with me going, peanut?” Gabriel asks after giving Castiel a series of strange looks all morning. “You’re not usually so cuddly before I leave.”

“I’m fine. I suppose it just feels rather soon for you to be going again; you haven’t stayed home for very long this time, that’s all.”

“I know. But I’ll be home a lot more over winter so you won’t have to wait too long, right?”

Castiel nods. He always looks forward to winter; everyone’s workload seems to reduce somewhat and it’s much less lonely for him.

“Besides, Michael is due home soon anyway so you’ll have him to hang out with.”

As much as Castiel loves Michael, his company isn’t quite as entertaining as Gabriel’s. Castiel tries to look enthusiastic. “Hm.”

Gabriel laughs at the look on Castiel’s face. “Alright, alright. I’ll try not to stay away too long. In the meantime, I’ll write to you whenever I can. And hey, listen to me. Don’t let those dicks on the council get you down, okay? You’re infinitely better than they are.”

It pulls a small smile from Castiel. He jokes, “Like I didn’t already know that.”

“Never one for being modest, are you?” Gabriel grins. “Right, I better get going. I’ll see you soon, Cassie.”

“Bye, Gabe.” The two of them hug one last time before Gabriel starts to head down the stairs through the main door. Castiel calls after him. “Don’t be an idiot!”

Gabriel turns and walks out the door backwards so he can respond, “Oh please, Cassie, as if I’d _ever_ do anything idiotic!”

X

It’s surprisingly mild that evening. For the last week or so Aelam has been chilly enough to require an extra layer of blankets during the night but it seems as though the Gods have come together to gift everyone with one last rise of warmth before fall officially sets in. Castiel stands at his balcony doors and gazes out at the serene outdoors as Dean checks and locks the other windows.

The stars are beautiful tonight.

Castiel is so entranced that he doesn’t notice Dean’s close proximity until he is right behind him and poking his waist. Castiel giggles and pushes the probing fingers away.

“Whatcha looking at?” Dean asks.

Castiel smiles to himself. “It’s pretty out there this evening.”

“Mm, so it is. You know, you don’t have to stay shut behind a glass door to appreciate it. Come on; let’s go out on the balcony. I can see a little seat for us.”

Castiel beams. “Okay.”

So Dean opens the balcony doors and steps outside as Castiel grabs a thick blanket from his bed for them to share.

There is a small loveseat on Castiel’s balcony which the two of them settle down on, the starry sky stretching seamlessly up above them. Castiel arranges the blanket over their laps and then tips his head back, breathing in the crisp, clean air and sighing blissfully.

“Really makes you feel small, doesn’t it?” Dean says after a few minutes of quiet contemplation.

“Mhm. It makes me feel foolish about so many things that I’ve gotten worked up over.”

Castiel’s balcony offers a perfect view of the lush greenery that decorates the castle grounds. The rest of Aelam is hidden behind the other side of the castle, creating a wonderfully isolated feel away from the hustle and bustle of the city. All that’s left in eyesight is the abundance of picturesque trees and flowers littering the very edge of the darkened sky, countless stars mere pinpricks in the cosmic expanse.

“Maybe your family is looking up at the same sky right now,” Castiel muses aloud as he turns to smile at Dean.

Dean chuckles, keeping his eyes directed upwards but shifting ever closer to Castiel. Whether it’s a conscious movement by Dean or not, Castiel isn’t sure, but he finds he doesn’t mind either way so long as he still gets to feel Dean pressed against his side. “I’d like to think so.”

Castiel responds by copying Dean and inching closer himself, taking a leap of faith and resting his head against Dean’s shoulder. It is not the first time that Castiel has done this but it feels different now, considering that the last time had been when Castiel was upset and Dean was comforting him. Now, he is back to feeling that same exhilaration that comes with Dean’s nearness, thinking of nothing but his protector and how stunning he looks in the moonlight.

“You know, this might be the stars that are making me a little sentimental but I just want to tell you that I’m really glad you’re here, Dean.”

“I’m glad I’m here too, Cas. I gotta say, I was dreading having to come here. I thought you were gonna be some spoilt brat and everything was gonna suck. But as it turns out; you’re not actually that bad, are you?”

Castiel pokes Dean in the stomach and deadpans, “Wow, you really know how to flatter an omega.”

“Hell yeah, I do.”

“Oh, really? Has it worked for you in the past?”

“Very much so.”

“With how many omegas?”

The question makes Dean turn his head sharply and squint at Castiel. Castiel blinks at him, surprised by his own bold question. Whilst Castiel had not asked the question with any kind of hidden intent in mind, they both seem to have picked up on the alternative way the question could be interpreted. Castiel had only meant to tease Dean about his lack of smoothness when speaking with omegas, not interrogate him about… _that_.

“You wanna know how many omegas I’ve… flattered?” Dean asks cautiously.

Castiel gulps and nods, his breathing quickening as he attempts to prepare himself for the answer, whatever it may be.

Dean looks back out to the vast grounds before them, avoiding Castiel’s gaze. He is silent for a minute before he admits heavily, “A lot.”

“How many is a lot?”

“I’m not sure of the exact number.”

“Just… a lot?”

“Yeah.”

“Wow.” Dean has tensed up next to Castiel, and Castiel knows that what he says next will need to be careful and sensitive in order to not ruin their evening out here together. He decides to revert back to what has become safe territory for the two of them; teasing. “I take back my sarcasm, you really _are_ skilled at flattery.”

Dean huffs out a short laugh. “Well in that case, I’ll put it on my resume.”

“You’re an idiot,” Castiel responds, relieved that what could have been a tense moment has been dodged.

Dean is quiet for a few moments before speaking again in a softer voice. “You know, I bet even with all my experience in flattering omegas none of it would work on you.”

“What makes you say that?”

“You’re different. Way different from any other omega I’ve met.”

“Oh.” That deflates Castiel a little bit. All of his life he’s been told that he’s kind of ‘different’ to other people, and he’s come to see it as an indirect way of informing him that he’s weird.

Dean notices Castiel’s disappointment straight away. “In a _good_ way. It’s like I said the other day, you’re so intelligent and fiery. I feel like you could seriously kick my ass if you wanted.”

Castiel laughs. “But most alphas would hate that!”

“Not me. I think the best relationships are when the alphas and omegas are equals. That’s the way it should be.”

“Thanks, Dean. It makes me happy to hear things like that.”

“I’m glad.”

Castiel allows himself to lean more comfortably against Dean, nuzzling against the soft, cheap fabric of Dean’s shirt. He mumbles, “You’re warm.”

He hears Dean give a little laugh. “Yeah, and you’re cute.”

The two of them fall silent again as they turn their attention back to their surroundings. The gentle breeze combined with the warmth radiating from Dean is doing an excellent job of wearing Castiel out, and he is quickly becoming sleepier with each breath. He eventually succumbs, and gives a large yawn.

“You wanna go back inside?” Dean murmurs, trying not to disturb Castiel’s slumber too harshly.

Castiel makes a little snuffling noise against his protector and shakes his head, determined to stay awake a little longer.

But at some point, despite his desire to stay up, Castiel must fall asleep right there on that little loveseat. He comes to again when he is being gently moved, caught up in a warm, safe embrace. He blinks heavily, trying to make sense of what is happening around him.

He has been lifted bridal style by Dean, who is holding him in his strong arms and carrying him across the threshold into the bedroom, the blanket still draped snugly over his lap. Dean lays him down carefully onto his bed, arranging Castiel’s limbs into a comfortable position and stroking the back of his hand before moving away. Castiel lies still for a moment, too drowsy to open his eyes but being vaguely aware of the sound of the balcony doors being closed and locked.

His protector returns a moment later, removing the blanket from Castiel’s lap and arranging sheets over and around him with such care and concern that if Castiel were more conscious, his insides would be melting at the sheer level of sweetness.

When Dean is finally pleased with the bedding he begins to walk away, being quickly replaced by the cooler air in the room.

“Goodnight, Cas.”

The last thing Castiel hears is Dean leaving for his own bedroom, his lips turning up at the corners just as he slips into oblivion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!
> 
> So I actually have some time off now which means more frequent updates. Yay!
> 
> Also I started following Jim Michaels on instagram and within 5 minutes he'd gone through my profile and liked all pictures which have my face in? Has this happened to anyone else?! I think I've made a new friend ahaha
> 
> [Link to my tumblr](http://wingit-spn.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Kudos and comments are very much appreciated!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel takes a risky chance.

Fall has quickly made itself known and settled in around Aelam, set to stay for the next couple of months. The castle grounds are abundant in vibrant colours, leaves of rustic golds and crimsons litter the pathways to form an enchanting blanket, inviting despite the brisk chill in the air. Blustering winds keep the gardens dancing and rain begins to mute the vivid shades with a thin layer of fog. The damp grounds bestow an earthy scent, fresh and ripe. It encourages a yearning for cosy blankets and hot beverages, a want to hibernate and listen to the rustling outdoors from behind safe and protective walls.

It has been a fairly quiet time lately; everyone is busy getting all of their work done before winter arrives and makes certain jobs difficult. There are significantly less people out and about, hiding away from the newfound cold and choosing to stay tucked away in their homes instead.

Castiel, as always, spends most of his time with Dean, especially since both of his brothers are still away travelling. Not many significant events happen apart from the fact that Castiel turns sixteen. His birthday had been a quiet affair. He never likes to throw a big celebration anyway since he hates having that much attention on him, but he had been sad that this year neither of his brothers had been able to make it home to see him. But Dean’s company had almost made up for Gabriel and Michael’s absences.

Castiel also had to face the council for the first time since his exclusion, something he no doubt assumes they had taken great glee in. It had been during one of the King’s grand dinner parties which he throws around once a moon which meant Castiel hadn’t had a way to avoid them. They had been so incredibly smug, and normally Castiel would have delivered some scathing comment but instead he had just held his head high and tried not to rise to their baits. His father had been pleased with him that night.

Castiel and Dean have also been continuing with their combat lessons. Dean has been teaching Castiel how to get out of a variety of common holds should he ever be caught by an attacker. It involves an awful lot of physical contact which is doing next to nothing to help Castiel’s crush, but Castiel refuses to put a stop to the lessons just because of that. He loves the lessons for so many reasons; the way the touching makes him feel and the chance to have some fun, learn a new skill and spend quality time with his friend.

In return for the combat sessions, Castiel has been carrying on helping Dean with his reading. Dean is remembering much of the written language rather quickly and is making good progress, though it’ll be a little while longer before he is able to write himself. But all in good time.

X

In the library there is a small section which is dedicated to tacky romance literature, the type that is generally loved by middle-aged omegas in unsatisfactory relationships with not much else to do with their time. All of these books are almost exactly the same; some macho, hero alpha comes to the aid of a petite and vulnerable omega in distress, they have madly passionate sex and begin a relationship, often without the support of their families but in the end, they live happily ever after together. A load of old tripe, basically.

But Castiel secretly loves them. Yes, he usually prides himself on being an independent omega who is capable of living his own life without relying on alphas all of the time; however, that doesn’t mean he can’t occasionally indulge himself in a little cliché romance. Every now and then he’ll sneak one of these books out of the library and read it alone in his room away from prying eyes. If anyone ever questioned him about it he’d deny it vehemently, probably even say he was reading it to mock how pathetic the omegas in the stories are. It’s not that the books are something shameful; it is just something which Castiel wants to keep private because he does not want people to get the wrong impression. Enjoying these books doesn’t mean that Castiel wants one of those relationships himself, he just happens to like reading them for whatever reason.

His current romance novel which is kept hidden under his mattress follows a beefy and broad alpha named Rick, a blacksmith struggling to get by and his beautiful omega Esmeralda, an heiress to a rich family fortune. Castiel hasn’t had as many opportunities to read it lately with Dean around but ever since he learnt that Dean struggles to read, Castiel has been indulging himself more often. It’s an awful thing for him to do and he feels incredibly guilty for it, but he can just tell Dean that the book is something completely different to what it actually is and Dean will not realise.

The two of them are sitting in a small study together now. Dean is practising his reading and Castiel is lost in his own book, smiling when Rick throws stones at Esmeralda’s bedroom window and asks her to sneak out and spend the night with him.

“What’s that you’re reading, again?” Dean asks.

“Oh.” Castiel wills his cheeks not to fill with colour and tries to keep a straight face. “Just a book of facts about exotic flowers.”

Dean squints at the front cover, trying to work out what it says. “‘Scarlet… Passion’?”

“Yeah, weird title, I know.”

Castiel breathes a small sigh of relief when Dean doesn’t question it any further. Castiel doesn’t want to imagine the teasing he’d get from him for reading something of this genre.

It’s a peaceful time in the study together. Castiel enjoys how Dean and he can spend so much time together but do not need to constantly be speaking or entertaining each other; they are perfectly comfortable now to simply be in each other’s company and go about their own business. Castiel is unaccustomed to this kind of companionship but he appreciates it greatly.

When Castiel finishes his current chapter, he turns his attention back to Dean. _‘Scarlet Passion’_ has been becoming increasingly raunchy, it might even be one of the most erotic novels Castiel has read, and it’s sort of making him feel rather flirtatious.

He gazes at Dean for a few moments, admiring the broad sweep of his shoulders and the smattering of freckles decorating his tan skin. The light strands in his hair are highlighted by weak sunrays that streak across the room, gently illuminating the emerald green of his eyes too. Dean hasn’t yet noticed Castiel’s scrutiny of him. He’s got a sweet little crease between his eyebrows as he concentrates on the words before him, the pen caught between his pearly white teeth. Castiel can’t help smiling at the sight.

“Deeean,” Castiel calls softly.

Dean gives a little grunt, not looking away from his paper for even a second.

Castiel moves closer and nudges Dean’s side, trying again. “Pay attention to me.”

That makes the corners of Dean’s mouth turn up, though he still doesn’t give Castiel what he wants. “No.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m trying to read, that’s why.”

“Please. I’m bored… and lonely.”

Dean finally looks sideways at Castiel, eyes glinting. He smirks around the pen still between his lips and says, “You’re a pain in the ass, you know that?”

Castiel takes hold of Dean’s pen and carefully pulls it from his mouth, using it to poke Dean in the chest. “Mhm. I’m kind of okay with it.”

“Man, this really is what I thought school would be like; trying to learn but constantly getting distracted by pretty omegas.”

“Well, I can’t comment on the accuracy of that, being home-schooled and all.”

Dean grins. “No handsome alphas around to distract you then?”

“Oh, definitely not. There are no handsome alphas around here.”

Dean’s eyebrows shoot up as he draws out, “ _Wow._ ”

Castiel laughs out loud, rubbing a hand down Dean’s arm so he knows he’s only joking. “So, how are things with the servants now? Are they being less rude to you?”

Dean shrugs. “It’s fine, I guess. I don’t have much to do with most of them. I’ve got a few friends down there; Benny, Ash, Ellen.”

It makes Castiel feel a tiny bit jealous in an odd way, that Dean has another group of friends within the castle. Dean is really all Castiel has and he feels rather possessive over his protector. “I shouldn’t worry about being replaced, should I?”

Dean smiles as if he knows that Castiel is using humour as a mask for his insecurities. “Definitely not. You know you’re always gonna be my favourite person around here.”

A blush spreads across Castiel’s face and he beams. Dean has become so special to him and he likes having him around so much. Whilst Castiel is happy enough to just be able to enjoy Dean’s company and friendship, it’s wonderful to have that validation; that he is an important part of Dean’s life as well.

X

Not very often but every now and then, Castiel will have a terrible night’s sleep. He’ll be too hot and too cold, too uncomfortable in his bed and much too alert, his mind still swimming with thoughts from the day. It’s no surprise that this often leads to a series of nightmares, all bizarre but frightening enough to leave Castiel breathless and make him think about it for the remainder of the morning.

He hasn’t had a bad night like this in a long while, maybe even before he met Dean, so he is not too surprised when he finally experiences another one that following Saturday.

It’s a swirling whirlpool of chaos in his mind; another one of his repetitive nightmares. His father, Gabriel, Michael and everyone he loves are burning, lost to the pyre and Castiel is stuck behind some kind of invisible barrier, wanting to help but being so restricted and guarded in his own little bubble, free from the danger as always. Only this time, Dean is there too. He reaches a hand out to Castiel and Castiel thinks that he has been saved, but just as soon as he appeared, Dean falls back and is lost to the flames as well. Castiel screams, but nobody listens.

He wakes up in a cold sweat just as the first glimpses of sunlight have begun to peek through the drapes. Rubbing his eye with his fist, Castiel drags himself upright and lets out a shaky sigh. The addition of Dean had certainly been a nice touch by the demons who plant these dreams in his mind.

Since the sun has already started to rise, there doesn’t seem much point in attempting to sleep again. Castiel reaches for his book under the mattress and begins to read, using the words as an escape as he waits for his still racing heart to calm.

He tells Dean about his awful night later on that morning.

“Man, that sounds rough,” Dean says. “Sammy used to get real bad nightmares too when he was younger.”

“He did? Poor little thing. Was there anything that helped him?”

“He’d usually calm down if I was there. I’d just talk to him, maybe sing a little.”

Castiel’s heart melts, as it always does when Dean talks about his brother and shows his softer side. “Aw, that’s sweet. You’re a good brother.”

Dean looks down, rubbing the back of his neck. “So, um, do you get these nightmares often? I’ve never heard you mention them before.”

It’s a blatantly swift conversation change but Castiel allows it. He understands that Dean’s family can be a sensitive subject. “Not really, I’ll just have one really bad night every now and then.”

“What brings it on?”

“No idea. Misfortune?”

Dean gives a light laugh. “Fair point. C’mon, let’s take your mind off it. Wanna play horseshoes?”

X

Castiel doesn’t even think about his nightmare for the rest of the day. In fact, it doesn’t come back up until that night when Castiel has finished getting ready for bed and Dean is in his bedroom doing the usual security checks.

Castiel perches on the edge of his bed and watches Dean move about the room.

“So, are you gonna be okay tonight? You know, after your nightmares?” Dean asks from the balcony doors.

Castiel raises his eyebrows. He’d genuinely forgotten about last night; his bad dreams never usually affect him for too long afterwards, especially not enough to prevent him from sleeping. But Dean is looking at him with such earnest eyes, bright and compassionate, and it makes Castiel’s heart flutter. It gives him an idea.

“Um, I’m not sure,” Castiel says carefully.

“Anything I can do to help?”

Castiel gulps as he ponders the potential consequences of his idea. It would be a lot to ask from his protector, a bridge which most definitely should not be crossed for so many reasons. There of course stands the chance of Dean saying no and Castiel knows that the rejection would sting, perhaps even create a sense of unwanted awkwardness between the two of them. And not to mention it would be beyond inappropriate for a prince and a servant, no matter how good friends they are.

But as always, when Castiel’s eyes meet Dean’s all of the worries he has just seem to drift away, letting him focus solely on what he desires.

So he takes the chance.

“Could you maybe… stay?”

Dean doesn’t fully grasp the implications of Castiel’s question. “What, hang out here for a while?”

Castiel’s palms begin to sweat. He clutches his hands together to stop himself from fidgeting, trying to appear more confident than he feels. “No, like, stay here tonight.”

Dean visibly gulps. Time stands still as Dean takes a long second to reply. “Y-yeah, of course. I’ll just fetch my bedding and set up a bed by the balcony –”

“No, don’t be silly. There’s plenty of room in my bed.”

Dean’s widened eyes flick from Castiel to the empty side of the bed next to him. Castiel bites his lip, heart hammering against his ribcage as he waits on tenterhooks for Dean’s response.

“O-okay. I’ll just… go and get changed.”

“Okay.”

Dean leaves for the nearest servant bathroom. Castiel climbs into bed and settles back against his pillows, uncontrollably fiddling with the blankets.

He has just invited an alpha into his bed. What was he thinking?! He is supposed to be discouraging his crush, not making it impossible to ignore! He just hadn’t been thinking straight, tempted by the opportunity to get closer to his wonderful protector.

What would his father say? How on Earth would Castiel explain this should anyone walk in?

Castiel’s internal panic is cut short by Dean’s return. He’s now dressed in night clothes made of a rather thin material that clings to every angle and curve of his body. They both eye each other for a moment, neither of them sure of how to proceed. Castiel finally forces himself to smile just to ease both of them, and pats the space on the bed next to him.

Dean approaches the bed with an air of apprehension about him and after a moment of deliberation, slides in beside Castiel.

The two of them sit in silence. Castiel stares straight ahead and continues to play with the sheets on his lap, racking his mind for something to say but coming up with nothing. It’s awkward.

He finally chances a glance at Dean, only to discover that Dean is already looking at him. They share a smile which then gives way to a little chuckle, relieving a slight bit of the thick tension.

“This is a little weird, huh?” Dean says.

“A little. It doesn’t have to be though, right?”

“Right.” Dean licks his lips, never tearing his gaze away from Castiel. “So, what do we do now?”

Castiel doesn’t give a verbal reply, instead just shifts in bed and lies down on his side, facing Dean. He smiles in what he hopes is an encouraging way, and Dean eventually copies him by settling down too.

“I find that these beds are much too big for only one person anyway,” Castiel says.

“Yeah.” Dean is still looking much too uncomfortable for Castiel’s liking, almost as though he’s scared to move or even breathe too much.

Castiel reaches out and places a hand on Dean’s warm, exposed forearm. “Dean. Relax.”

Dean gives an apologetic smile. “Sorry. I’ve just never been in this situation before. I’m not really sure what to do.”

“You can do whatever makes you comfortable. I just didn’t want to be alone.”

Dean nods, and then turns his attention to the fine sheets and blankets draped over him, bouncing a little to test the mattress too. “Damn, these beds are something fancy.”

“What’s your bed like here?” Castiel feels bad for never having really asked about Dean’s living conditions here before. “I’m sorry, I’ve never –”

“S’alright. The bed’s nice, better than what I have back home. But this one is something else.”

“Yeah.” Castiel often hates talking about these sorts of luxuries that he gets as a result of his family name since he does not feel as though he deserves it all. “It’s weird to me that I get all this even though I haven’t worked for any of it, but some people work their asses off and don’t even get close to having this.”

“That’s not your fault, Cas.”

“Yeah, I know. I just hate that I can’t exactly help every single person.”

“Well, you’ve certainly helped me.” Dean fluffs up his pillows a bit more and sighs dramatically like he’s in paradise. “I could get used to this.”

Castiel beams at him and relaxes more into the blankets himself. Seeing Dean at ease now makes Castiel’s heart happy. “Thank you for staying with me tonight, Dean.”

Dean smiles gently. “I’m happy to do it. Whatever you need I’ll give you, Cas.”

Castiel’s skin heats up and he hides his wide smile behind the edge of the blanket. Oh Lord, if Dean is going to keep saying things like that then Castiel does not think his crush will stand a chance. In fact, it may be starting to spiral out of control.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for all of the kudos and comments you've been leaving, it really means a lot to me.
> 
> This chapter is a tad shorter than the others but updates will be more frequent now!
> 
> [Link to my tumblr](http://wingit-spn.tumblr.com/)


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Friends share beds all the time, right?

Castiel is startled awake the next morning by the frenzied ruffling of his blankets, cold air from the room wriggling its way inside his cosy cocoon and making him grimace as he tries to work out what has woken him. After half a dozen blinks, Castiel’s eyes come to focus on a person halfway out of the bed. A person?

 _Oh_. Dean.

Memories of last night flood back to Castiel’s sleep-hazy mind. He had spent the night in the same bed as his alpha protector, with only a foot of distance between their thinly clothed bodies. Castiel had fallen asleep so quickly, comforted by Dean’s presence and the sense of safety it had given him. His bliss had carried him through the night and he had slept like a baby because of it.

Unfortunately, his peaceful night does not correlate with his flustered awakening, or why Dean is leaping out of bed like he’s just been burned. Castiel pulls himself up to lean on his elbow, rubbing an eye and squinting at Dean.

“What’re you doin’?”

Dean looks down at Castiel with eyes like a cornered deer. “I overslept. Gotta get down to the washroom and the kitchen before I’m late and get a smack, I got chores to do –”

 _Wow_ , that’s an awful lot of words for first thing in the morning. Castiel’s face scrunches up and he holds up a hand to stop Dean’s loud and panicked voice. “Dean, stop worrying. Just don’t go down if you’re gonna be in trouble.”

“I can’t, Cas, I need to –”

“Dean.” Castiel is only half-awake, his concerns not extending any further than Dean and his snug, heavenly bed. It’s still much earlier than Castiel would get up anyway, and he has no plans to break into the day just yet. He says in his raspy, just-woken-up voice, “Would you rather go down to the cold kitchen and get yelled at by people you dislike, or stay here with me?”

Dean’s expression softens as his eyes trail over Castiel’s face, his hair, the exposed part of his shoulder where his night shirt has ridden down.

“Okay,” Dean finally says, slipping back into bed and pulling up the covers.

Castiel smiles triumphantly, lying back down and stretching like a content cat. He is very much aware of Dean’s gaze still on him but with his insecurities taking a little while longer to wake up, he finds he does not mind. In fact, he plays up to it, pushing the blankets down with his legs and raising his arms high enough to uncover a tiny part of his bare stomach.

“I slept really well,” Castiel says, beaming at Dean.

Dean drags his eyes up from Castiel’s belly, only looking a slight bit guilty about staring at him so shamelessly. “Me too, like sleeping on a cloud. Kind of the reason I didn’t wake up when I normally do; I’m pretty sure the bed was actually hugging me.”

Castiel giggles. “Well, I didn’t have any nightmares. Must have helped having you here.”

“So I guess I _am_ good for something.”

“Yeah, we’ve finally found something.”

“Hey!” Dean reaches out and squeezes Castiel’s waist, tickling him. “That hurts.”

Castiel squirms to get out of Dean’s grasp, kicking his legs and squealing, “Stop it!”

Dean draws his hand back and looks at Castiel with raised eyebrows and an expression of mock surprise. “What, you ticklish there, Your Highness?”

Castiel playfully pushes at Dean’s chest. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re an idiot?”

“More times than I care to count.” Dean moves his attention up to Castiel’s hair, smiling at the sight and running his fingers through it. “Man, your hair is crazy in the morning.”

The touch of Dean’s fingertips alights every nerve ending on Castiel’s head, making him all dopey and tingly. He hums absent-mindedly as he leans into Dean’s touch.

Dean’s hand falls away all too quickly.

“So, do you have plans for today?” he asks.

Castiel shrugs, his eyelids much heavier now after the brief moment of tenderness from his protector. “Not really. I’m feeling kinda lazy.”

“Mm, go back to sleep if you want.”

Castiel doesn’t need to be told twice. He stops fighting it and allows the drowsiness to pull him back in, sinking into the pillows and back into dreamland.

X

Castiel’s mood dips considerably after he has breakfast and discovers that no letters have arrived for him in the mail yet again. He doesn’t really receive many letters on a day-to-day basis but for a while now he has been waiting for something from a particular person, someone who seems to have gone uncharacteristically quiet. Castiel bites his nails and paces the dining room as he waits for Dean to return from the servants’ kitchen, his mind reeling with wild thoughts that steadily work him up into quite a fluster.

When Dean finally walks up the staircase and they head out of the room together, he picks up on Castiel’s distress almost immediately.

“Why are you trying to chew your fingers off?”

“I didn’t get any letters _again_ this morning. It’s been nearly three weeks now since I’ve heard from Gabriel; he _never_ goes this long without writing to me.”

Dean places a warm hand on Castiel’s back, rubbing it. “Well, don’t get stressed about it just yet, he might just be too far away to mail anything, or letters might take a lot longer to arrive now given the bad weather. There could be lots of reasons why you haven’t heard from him yet.”

Castiel exhales and forces himself to nod. “Yeah. I’m sure you’re right.”

In truth, Castiel _is_ worried. Gabriel isn’t the type to just forget to write, or not bother to write at all. The only reason he wouldn’t send a letter would be if he physically couldn’t, and that scares Castiel to no end. Gabriel could be anywhere in the world; possibly sick, hurt, or even worse.

That afternoon, Dean tries to distract Castiel from his worries with some more combat practice in the hopes to save Castiel’s fingernails from further mutilation.

Dean is continuing to show Castiel how to escape from different holds. They’ve already practised a few of these such as choke holds from the front and the back, and as well as what Dean calls a ‘bear hug’ hold which is essentially being grabbed and held from behind. Today, they are moving on to what to do if an attacker forces Castiel to the ground.

“An attacker might get you on the ground if they push you over while you’re running, or if you trip, or if they’ve already got a hold of you and they want to make it harder for you to get away. These are a little more difficult to get out of because you don’t have as much momentum and there isn’t as much time for you to get up and run away, but it’s still doable. If they force you onto your back, you’re going to want to flip yourselves around so that you’re on top; much easier to get your own attacks in. Let’s get into position.”

Castiel supresses a smirk at the slight innuendo in Dean’s words, ignoring the urge to giggle or make a comment about it. Dean is all business when it comes to combat, and Castiel doesn’t think he’d appreciate jokes all that much. He is incredibly sexy like this, all tense muscles, set jaw and a stern attitude that makes Castiel quiver. It’s the sort of alpha display that if it were anyone else, Castiel would scoff but since it’s Dean, it just makes him all hot and giddy.

So Castiel does what he is told and sits down on the floor, awaiting further instructions.

Dean kneels down beside him and says in a soft voice, “Lie down for me, Cas.”

Castiel’s cheeks set fire as he does exactly that and spreads himself out below Dean, exposed and powerless. Dean leans closer, hovering above him.

“Okay, so I’m gonna settle my weight on you and I’ll talk you through how to get me off you, alright?”

Castiel’s mind short-circuits when Dean straddles him.

“Am I hurting you?” Dean asks.

Castiel helplessly shakes his head, praying Dean doesn’t notice how his skin has erupted with goose pimples all up and down his arms. Dean has so much power and strength in his body and an extensive knowledge of how he could harm someone in Castiel’s position but here he is, looking at Castiel with kind eyes and asking with such concern whether he is causing him any hurt. It makes Castiel feel special, vulnerable, and a multitude of other words which are generally used to describe Esmeralda in his book.

Dean places both of his hands on the top of Castiel’s chest. “It’s much harder for you to fight back when you’re like this, any kind of hit is likely just going to make things worse, so the best thing is to just flip me over and put the control back in your hands. Now, you’re gonna take hold of my right wrist with your right hand, and the back of my elbow with your other hand.”

Castiel follows his instructions and touches Dean’s warm arm, unable to stop a little smile forming on his face at the contact.

Dean carries on. “Now pull my arm to your chest and hold it tight, and at the same time hook your foot over my right leg to keep it in place. When you’re ready, push your hips up and flip us over.”

Castiel hesitates for a short moment, the idea of their hips being pressed together making his heart clench and his stomach flip. Whilst the close physical contact with Dean is always thrilling, moments like this often intimidate Castiel. He is still a virgin, after all, and whilst he trusts and feels comfortable with Dean, he is just not at all used to these sorts of situations.

But he doesn’t want his innocence to hinder Dean’s teaching. Castiel has to continually remind himself that the purpose of these sessions is to protect him should he ever fall into danger, not an excuse for the two of them to flirt (though it often feels that way).

So Castiel flips Dean the best he can with the weight and size difference between them, focusing most of his energy on not allowing his pelvis to make contact with _certain areas_ of his protector’s body. Dean goes easily, clearly humouring Castiel a little bit as to not dishearten him. Castiel finds it sweet.

Dean grins up at Castiel from his new position on his back. “See? Not so hard, right?”

Castiel returns Dean’s infectious smile and shakes his head. “No, that one was fine. Can we try it again?”

They re-adjust themselves, Dean settling back over Castiel and gently pushing down on his chest. His stare is as serious as always for all of a few seconds before his whole demeanour seems to relax, shoulders dropping and brow smoothing.

“What?” Castiel asks, bemused.

“You know, you’re making it kinda hard to concentrate here.” Dean has a soft little smile on his face, gazing down at Castiel like he’s something precious, something valuable.

Castiel giggles. “How am I?”

“Because combat is supposed to be intense, it’s meant to cause harm. How can I do that with you when you’re staring up at me with those big blue eyes?”

Castiel lights up under the praise but keeps his smile to himself as he teases Dean. “I don’t see what my eyes have to do with combat, Dean.”

“ _Because_ , you look so innocent and doe-eyed. What if I accidentally hurt you, I’d be so damn guilty.”

“Dean, you’ve never hurt me. I trust you completely.”

Dean’s chest puffs up. With pink-tinged ears, he looks away and rubs the back of his neck. “Alright, you sap. Right, let’s do it again, yeah?”

X

When Dean returns from the bathroom that night, all changed and ready for bed, he has a piece of interesting news for Castiel.

“Hey, Cas, did you know Michael is back home?”

Castiel perks up. “He is? How do you know?”

“Someone just mentioned it in the washroom. He’s in his bedroom apparently.”

“Oh!” Castiel beams, thrilled that at least one of his brothers is home safe and sound. “I wonder why he didn’t come and find me? Can you walk me to his room, please?”

So Dean escorts Castiel the short distance to Michael’s room, asking the guard at his door to allow Castiel in whilst Dean waits outside.

Castiel enters the bedroom which is already dark and quiet. It would have given no sign that there is a person there if not for the lump beneath the blankets in the lush, large bed. Castiel tiptoes over and carefully eases himself down next to the lump, trying not to disturb his brother too quickly.

“Michael?” Castiel whispers, squeezing his shoulder to try and rouse him.

Michael stirs, blinking heavily up at Castiel for a few seconds before his face clears with recognition.

“Hey, Castiel,” he mumbles sleepily, smiling up at his younger brother.

“You’re home!” Castiel leans down to give him a one-armed hug, only slightly awkward with the angle. “When did you get back? You should have come and found me!”

“I only got back a little while ago, I didn’t know if you were already in bed so I thought I’d wait until morning. Never mind that, how have you been?”

“I’ve been okay, though I don’t know if you heard about what happened with the council?”

“No, what happened?”

“Daddy said that I should stay away from the meetings for a while until I learn how to control my temper around them.”

Michael hums, removing an arm from beneath the blankets to drape over Castiel’s lap; the most amount of physical affection he can muster. “Well, I suppose it’ll be for the best. You can’t go around running your mouth all the time, especially with them.”

Castiel rolls his eyes at how similar Michael is to their father. “I suppose. Anyway, I’m sure your life has been much more exciting, what have you been doing?”

Michael tells Castiel about each of the three cities he has visited since they last saw each other, raving about the people there, the food, the entertainment and hospitality. Castiel listens intently and tries not to feel envious; Michael always has so many stories to tell about all of his adventures, and the list of places he has been to just continues to grow and grow. Castiel is sure that in a few years’ time, he may actually run out of new locations to explore.

“It all sounds so incredible,” Castiel says wistfully.

Michael is kind enough to look at least half guilty. “It is. Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll be able to come along with Gabriel and I one time. Maybe when you’re a little older.”

That drives all of Castiel’s envious thoughts clean out of his mind as he is presented with the chance to investigate where on Earth Gabriel has got to. “Have you heard from Gabe lately?”

Michael’s eyes trail away as he thinks for a moment. “Probably not for a few weeks. Why?”

That was not the answer Castiel wanted to hear. His heart drops to his stomach and he sighs. “I haven’t heard from him for three weeks, I’m starting to get a little worried.”

It’s somewhat comforting to see that Michael isn’t looking too concerned. “Three weeks isn’t that long of a time, I’m sure we’ll hear from him soon enough.”

Castiel nods and swallows heavily. “Yeah, I’m sure we will.”

After that, he bids Michael goodnight with the promise of a further catch-up tomorrow since Michael seems quite tired from his long journey home. Castiel is pleased that he is finally back; communication between the two of them may not always come naturally but Castiel still adores and respects his eldest brother.

By the time Dean and he have returned to his bedroom, a somewhat empty feeling has begun to linger in the pit of his stomach. Castiel is feeling rather conflicted. He is of course thrilled to bits at Michael’s return but it has only reminded him of the lack of contact with Gabriel which means that given the time of night, Castiel will not be able to think about anything else. He flops down onto his bed, all too aware of Dean’s concerned expression.

Dean stays in Castiel’s bed again that night. Neither of them says a word about it; it’s an unspoken agreement communicated through a meaningful gaze and shy smiles. It's almost definitely a reckless move but Castiel is past the point of caring.

X

Castiel continues to allow Dean into his bed over the next few nights, and each time it seems harder to imagine ever going back to sleeping alone. The two of them haven’t exactly discussed the somewhat odd arrangement they now have; they seem to have developed their own silent language using only their eyes, often having expressive discussions without needing a single word to be uttered.

Some nights they are quiet, simply relying on each other’s body heat and presence to calm them and help them sleep. Other nights they are chatty, talking about anything that comes to mind and making each other laugh, both relishing in the comfort of companionship which neither of them have ever properly experienced before.

However, this night is neither silent nor chatty. Castiel cannot seem to stop fidgeting, shifting around and disturbing the sheets enough to keep Dean awake as well. All he has been able to think about this week is Gabriel’s sudden silence, slowly driving himself crazy with ridiculous reasons as to what may have happened. It’s never great to have these thoughts in the day, but it’s truly awful at night when the dark and his growing exhaustion play keep away with his rationality. After fifteen minutes of this wriggling, Dean rolls to face Castiel.

“Wanna talk?”

Castiel lets out a long sigh, hot and bothered after so long tossing and turning. “No. I don’t know.”

“What’s bugging you?”

Castiel doesn’t give an immediate answer. He gazes up at the ceiling with a heavy tiredness in his bones, unable to put his swirling thoughts into coherent speech. He turns to face Dean and instead just mumbles, “Just tell me Gabriel’s okay.”

“He’s okay, Cas. He’s better than okay because he’s off in some amazing city having a great goddamn time. And you know he’d be mad if he found out you were worrying about him when you really shouldn’t be.”

Castiel mouth tilts up at the corners. “Thanks.”

Dean returns the weak smile but doesn’t seem ready to end the conversation just yet. “What can I do, Cas?”

“Nothing, I’m just… it’s fine. I guess I just hate feeling this powerless; I can’t do anything except stay in the castle and wait.”

“You’re not powerless, Cas.”

Castiel huffs, his exhaustion only building and seeping into his words. “I _am_. I wish I was never born as an omega.”

“Don’t say that. Omegas are beautiful, strong, nurturing creatures, and this world would be a shitty place without them.”

“What, because there’d be no one to raise the children?” Castiel scoffs. He doesn’t intend to sound snippy, especially not with Dean, but in his current state of mind he is struggling to be sensible.

“No, for tons of reasons.”

“They apparently don’t have any place in politics, considering I couldn’t even last a year with the council.”

“Stop blaming yourself for that, you were treated unfairly and you know it.”

Castiel leans his head up and punches his pillow a couple of times, flopping back down and trying to find himself a comfortable position as he grumbles, “Yeah, I guess. That was basically the only promising lead I had in terms of my career. I must have the omega bad luck.”

“Cas, stop it, you’re only sixteen, you’ll have countless opportunities to further your career. You don’t just have to rely on those jerks.”

“Yes, I _do_ , and it might have been my only chance. My life is depressing, Dean. It’s already been set out for me, and I apparently don’t have any say on the matter. Soon enough my father will start to find me some sort of prince or lord who he thinks is ‘suitable’ for me, and then I’ll get married and have this man’s babies, and then I’ll spend my days watching the maids raise my children, making no contribution to society, just gathering dust in a dull house, waiting for my husband who I never got the chance to fall in love with to come home so I can have awkward, forced conversation with the family I never wanted…”

Castiel trails off because he suddenly finds himself very tearful, his emotions forcing their way to the surface and bubbling over. Dean had been patiently quiet throughout Castiel’s ramblings, but at the sound of Castiel’s breath hitching he moves closer, soothing Castiel with his low, velvety voice.

“Oh, Cas,” he murmurs. “Please, don’t let thoughts like those occupy your mind, don’t pay them any attention. It doesn’t matter whether what you just described is the norm in your culture; it does not have to be that way for you, and it won’t be if you don’t let it. You’re not a piece of furniture that sits and gathers dust; you’re a fighter and you stand up for what you believe in. You are _so_ clever, Cas. And you’re eloquent and brave and you know exactly what you want; if anyone is going to make sure omegas all over the country get a better life it’ll be you. And I’ll stand by you no matter what you do. Your life won’t be depressing, it’ll be wonderful, just like you are. I swear.”

Castiel’s little shaky exhale is one of surprise and delight. He takes hold of the front of Dean’s shirt and clings to him gratefully, breathing, “I’ve never met an alpha as lovely as you before.”

Dean places an impossibly warm hand on Castiel’s waist. “Don’t let anybody make you believe that bearing children is all you can do. You are gonna do great things, Cas, I know you are.”

“Thank you, Dean.”

They lie together in contemplative silence for a few moments. If only, if _only_ Dean were in any other position within the castle. If only he were a lord, or a prince, or any of those other titles that Castiel’s father looks for in potential partners for him. If that was the case, Castiel’s crush would not be an issue, in fact it would be encouraged. Dean is everything Castiel would wish his partner to be; strong and gentle, supportive and uplifting, resilient and soft. The one thing that’s missing, is a meaningless, pretentious title.

“When you said that you’ll stand by me…” Castiel says. “Is that a promise?”

“You know it is.”

Castiel’s exhaustion which has been steadily creeping up on him all evening finally reaches its peak, pulling his eyes closed and threatening to engulf him at any moment. He eventually nods off, barely conscious enough to be aware of the last words he mumbles to his protector that night.

“I wish you weren’t a servant.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A new chapter within a week?! I'm getting good at this ;)
> 
> Kudos and comments make me ridiculously happy!
> 
> [Link to my tumblr](http://wingit-spn.tumblr.com/)


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel and Dean's reckless flirting is starting to cause some problems.

Sundays were created by the Gods for resting and relaxation. Castiel enjoys spending his Sundays in his living room, lying back on the couch and basking in the heat of the fire like a content cat. He drifts in and out of sleep, the radiating heat in the room gently caressing his eyelids and dragging him into a complete state of relaxation. When he starts to nod off he doesn’t fight it; he has no responsibilities today and Dean is nearby as always to keep him safe. He settles more comfortably against his cushion and sighs deeply, ready for a good nap.

The first thing he is aware of when he is next pulled back into consciousness is the feeling of probing fingers on his waist. He twitches, unhappy with the attention, and feebly tries to squirm away without having to open his eyes. The fingers only increase in their efforts, poking him everywhere he is ticklish and doing a stellar job of breaking his slumber. Castiel finally succumbs to the attack and dissolves into giggles, pushing at the hands. Dean and he have been doing this a lot lately; all this tickling and play-fighting business.

“Get off me!” Castiel squawks, letting out uncontrollable laughs and accepting he’s going to have to open his eyes now. “De… Gabriel!”

When he catches sight of his tickler, Castiel shoots upright with widened eyes. His older brother is stood over him with a wide grin plastered on his face, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.

“Hey, Cassie!”

Castiel blinks, half sure that he is still sleeping. He repeats in a confused voice, “Gabriel?”

“Yeah! Who did you think it was?”

Gabriel sits down and leans in for a hug as Castiel’s cheeks flare up, hot and pink. That had been a close call, nearly letting slip to another person just how touchy-feely his protector and he have become.

Then he finally registers just who it is that almost caught him out.

“Gabey! You’re home!” he beams, wrapping his arms around his brother and holding him tight. He allows Gabriel one moment of care and affection before drawing back and landing a firm smack on Gabriel’s cheek, lashing out. “Where have you been?!”

Gabriel stares open-mouthed, alarmed by the sudden change in Castiel’s mood. “W-what?”

“I haven’t heard from you in over _three weeks_!” Castiel punctuates his words with another hit, this time to Gabriel’s chest. “And then you come back with nothing to say but ‘hey’?”

Gabriel is still looking bewildered. “I wrote to you?”

Castiel crosses his arms. “I didn’t get any letters.”

“I did send you one, honestly. Although I was very drunk when I gave it to the postman. Maybe it wasn’t the postman; perhaps it was just a very life-like tree. But I didn’t send any more after that because I thought that since I would be coming home within the week I’d just surprise you instead.”

That earns him another slap. “Well, no trees delivered me any letters and I am not a mind-reader, _I_ didn’t know when you were coming home and I’ve been worried sick!”

Gabriel’s face falls. “I’m sorry, Cassie, I didn’t mean to make you worry.”

He kisses Castiel’s forehead which manages to appease some of the fire raging within him. Castiel relents and gives his brother another somewhat reluctant hug, grumbling, “You’re such an ass.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know.”

Castiel looks over to Dean who is stood watching near the door and scoffs, “He was _too drunk_ to write me. The audacity.”

X

Castiel doesn’t leave Gabriel alone for the next few days, following him around like a little lost puppy. Gabriel makes a lot of jokes and weak protests about it but never goes anywhere Castiel can’t accompany him, choosing to stay within the castle grounds and spend a bit less time with his friends in favour of his younger brother. The only time Castiel gives him a minute of peace is when he goes to the bathroom and at night time; Castiel has acquired a rather pleasant bed partner since Gabriel was last home and he doesn’t fancy giving that up just yet.

Meal times make Castiel very happy now, having all of his family back home and together again. On the first night of Gabriel’s return their father hadn’t appeared for dinner so Castiel had hunted him down, found him working in his study and told him off until he was guilty enough to come and eat with his children. Now they all make a point of spending this time together.

Tonight, Gabriel is telling them of the troubles he faced on his latest journey home. “We got caught in a bit of a storm, it added half a day to our journey. I think this winter will be a dark one.”

“Are you two both home for winter now?” Castiel asks his brothers.

“Possibly,” Gabriel answers. “I haven’t got anything organised but I’m sure I’ll end up going somewhere before the snow hits.”

“Me too,” Michael agrees. “It’s still only fall, anyway; we have time.”

They return to their dinners for a short while. Castiel relishes in the company of his family – for the past few weeks he’s been spending far too many meal times alone so he always makes the most of these times before they’re taken away from him again.

Michael is the first to introduce a new topic of conversation. “Castiel was so worried when you were gone, Gabriel.”

“I know,” Gabriel says around a large mouthful of potato. “I still feel horribly guilty.”

“Didn’t even get a single letter,” Castiel adds, only a little smug at the way it makes Gabriel’s cheeks tinge pink.

“It was only three and a half weeks!” he complains.

Michael is quick to reply. “Well, Gabriel, you have to remember that three weeks for Castiel probably seems a lot longer than it does for us since he doesn’t work and just stays in the castle all the time.”

Castiel glares at Michael. “Not by choice.”

“Well, by someone’s choice,” Gabriel says with a smirk at their father, knowing it will wind him up.

Their father is predictably unamused. “Yes, yes, I’m a terrible father because I don’t want my omega child to get hurt.”

Castiel reaches out to rub his arm. “It’s okay, Daddy. I’m not feeling all that bitter tonight, so you don’t have to worry about another rant from me.”

“Damn,” Gabriel says. “I was ready for a good little show then.”

Castiel rolls his eyes, though there is no real annoyance behind it. The relief he feels at having Gabriel home safe is lasting quite some time and he imagines it’ll be the reason for why he puts up with his brother antics for a while.

In fact, Castiel has been feeling so elated by Gabriel’s presence that he has even considered possibly telling his brother about the certain _feelings_ he has for his protector, and what on Earth he is supposed to do about them. Castiel knows that Gabriel would never judge him, especially about something as small as a silly crush, but he is just worried about Gabriel’s large mouth and who he might end up sharing the secret with.

As well as that, Castiel doesn’t want to give his crush more attention than it deserves. Discussing it out loud with another person would make it _real_ , and Castiel is anxious that that would simply be the point of no return for him with no hope of his feelings fading after that. Yes, he knows that his crush has definitely been _growing_ , at a rather accelerated rate he begrudgingly notes, but he is still firmly clinging to the belief that it is temporary.

 _It’s not going to last forever_ , Castiel tells himself. _I hope_.

X

Castiel is starting to get good at all this combat fighting business. Dean and he have been practising regularly, going through different scenarios of potential attacks and how Castiel can escape from them. Castiel is becoming much more confident in his actions, and is beginning to overcome Dean’s ‘attacks’ more often than he fails now… especially the ones that take place in bed.

Granted, these types of attacks are not quite actual combat fighting and more just light-hearted wrestling, though the two of them keep up the pretence of it being serious just as an excuse to carry on doing it. Yes, Castiel is aware of how bad it looks; rolling around with his protector in his own bed and giggling like a love-struck teenager, but just because he knows how ridiculous it is doesn’t make him any more inclined to put a stop to it. The truth is, he _enjoys_ being so silly and carefree. He’s never had someone he feels he can just completely relax around, not even Balthazar.

“ _Ha_!” Castiel says one night from where he sits on top of Dean, raising his arms in the air and grinning as he is victorious in their latest ‘fight’.

“You play dirty!” Dean protests. “Tickling my sides doesn’t count as an actual attack.”

“It worked though, didn’t it?” Castiel says with a smug smile.

Dean leans up to wrap an arm around Castiel’s waist and uses that as leverage to flip them over, all in one smooth movement. “You let your guard down, now _I_ win.”

Castiel scoffs from where he is now trapped underneath Dean’s body, legs spread wide. “Okay, _that_ wasn’t fair, the fight had already ended!”

“Alright, alright, I yield.” Dean rolls off Castiel and grunts. “Man, I’m covered in scratches from those damn claws you call fingernails.”

“Hey, they’re not nearly as bad as your iron grip, look at all the little bruises I have now.”

“Let me see.” Dean lifts Castiel’s nightshirt to look at the smattering of small, finger-shaped bruises on his naked waist, and then laughs. “Sorry about that, I guess I do sort of throw you around sometimes, don’t I?”

“That’s an understatement,” Castiel says, pulling down his nightshirt to hide his bare skin, always so self-conscious about the way he looks in front of the man he wants to impress.

“I’m sorry, I’ll stop being so rough with you.”

“No, no,” Castiel hurries to say. “I don’t mind it, it’s… you know, good practice.”

He feels bad for using combat practice as an excuse again but he just doesn’t want to lose this, whatever the hell _this_ is right now. The play-fighting is what keeps them so physically close, what Castiel uses to appease some of the guilt he feels at rolling around with his servant. Besides, Castiel likes the bruises in a bizarre sort of way; they’re a constant visual reminder of Dean’s touches.

Dean looks sideways at Castiel and smirks. “Yeah. Good practice.”

The two of them settle down a bit now, lying back and arranging their blankets, though Castiel doesn’t use nearly as many blankets as he normally would.

“I swear all you alphas have built-in furnaces; you’re always so warm,” he comments.

“Does it bother you? Sorry, it’s been a while since I, you know, shared a bed with anyone.”

“No, of course it doesn’t bother me, it’s… kind of nice, actually. Why, when was the last time you shared a bed with someone?”

As soon as the question slips from his mouth, Castiel regrets it. Dean’s eyebrows shoot up and Castiel hides his face in his hands, horrified that he’s fallen into the trap of showing interest in Dean’s romantic history again.

“I… I meant… I didn’t mean –”

Dean laughs out loud. “The innocent answer to your question is probably when Sammy was younger and having all those bad dreams. Do you want the not-so-innocent answer as well?”

Castiel allows himself to consider that. On one hand, he is always interested in learning more about Dean and he cannot deny his curiosity when he is presented with a chance to ask Dean about such things. But on the other hand, what if Dean gives him an answer he doesn’t want to hear? What if the last time Dean shared a bed with someone was recently, maybe even with another servant in the castle? Castiel doesn’t want to imagine how his crush would react to that information.

Unable to decide, Castiel eventually says, “It depends what the answer is.”

“It’s been a while. A _long_ while for me, actually.”

Castiel perks up, a glimmer of hope bubbling in his chest. “So, you haven’t… with anyone in the castle?”

“No.”

“Have you… wanted to? With anyone here?”

Dean gazes at Castiel, watching him thoughtfully for a moment before he speaks again. “Maybe with one person.”

Castiel’s heart starts to pound in his chest. With all of the time he has spent thinking about Dean and how much he adores him, he has deliberately never entertained thoughts about Dean possibly liking him back. He has always told himself that Dean is much too handsome and experienced to have such feelings for Castiel, but what if that isn’t true? Dean has told Castiel that he thinks he’s pretty and intelligent on numerous occasions, and Castiel often catches Dean staring at him with undeniable interest.

It’s a scary thought; that his crush could actually lead to something.

Castiel swallows. “Yeah?”

Dean licks his lips, never breaking their gaze for a second. “Yeah.”

Castiel watches the movement of Dean’s tongue like he’s been hypnotised. His plump lips are wet now, reddened like roses, and just the sight of them is drawing Castiel in, wanting to be closer. He drags his eyes up to Dean’s to find his gaze already locked on Castiel’s own lips and they quiver in response, _anticipating_. Castiel has never been kissed before. He has imagined it many times and asked Balthazar what it feels like, but it has all been frustratingly uninformative. Balthazar’s graphic descriptions of how to play ‘tonsil tennis’ don’t help Castiel to understand the effect a kiss will have on his insides, his mind, his soul. He is so inexperienced it hurts. His heart rate is through the roof, butterflies are cartwheeling around his stomach and his cheeks are glowing crimson, open and unashamed as his entire body begs to succumb to its primitive desires.

Dean leans closer.

“This person…” Dean breathes, barely above a whisper. His voice catches, suggesting nervousness. “They’re gorgeous, I’m not sure they really know that but they are, and they’re bright, so bright it stuns me. I… I think about them all the damn time.”

It takes all of Castiel’s strength to not _whine_ aloud, lighting up under the attention. Dean inches ever closer, slow and cautious and Castiel wants to allow it, he wants to invite Dean over to his side of the bed and let him do as he pleases, but…

But something is holding him back. Castiel wants nothing more right now than to just give in to his desires and let himself have this, but deep down he _knows_ it cannot happen. It can’t.

He has to be the one to stop this. He can’t let Dean lose his head.

Castiel looks away, breaking the gaze with Dean and cutting the tension between them with his words. “I hope for both our sakes that the person you’re talking about doesn’t know this conversation is happening right now because they’re in a different room and fast asleep.”

He hears Dean gulp, but he doesn’t dare look at him.

“Yeah,” Dean says quietly. “Y-yeah, they’re in a different room.”

They both lie in silence, neither of them moving an inch or uttering a word. Dean eventually moves away and rolls over, and Castiel stares at his back with a lump in his throat. Of course he doesn’t want to push Dean away like this but what else can he do? This has already gone far enough.

X

Castiel and Dean both seem to unconsciously agree to sweep last night under the rug and carry on as if nothing happened. A boundary had almost been crossed, and it’s a risk that Castiel cannot afford to take again. He would never ask Dean to leave his bed now, not after this many weeks and how much he has come to love it, but Castiel knows that the flirting needs to be reduced somewhat.

It’s a little quieter today. The two of them are not nearly as chatty as they normally are but Castiel wouldn’t describe it as _awkward_ per say; it’s more of a case of them walking on eggshells around each other. All day Castiel has been catching Dean staring at him and when their eyes meet, Dean only gives him a small, almost sad smile. Castiel can barely bring himself to return it. Looking at his protector hurts a little bit now. Dean is a constant reminder of everything Castiel wants but cannot have.

That afternoon finds Castiel sitting out on the veranda with the King and several of the King’s friends and colleagues, including a few members of the council. It’s not an official meeting of business, though that is often what topics of conversations turn to. Castiel’s father had asked him to come along and join them, and when Castiel had asked why considering his recent removal from the council, his father had simply said that it would be good for Castiel to listen and learn how others handle themselves when caught in a debate. Whilst the notion had been perhaps a little insulting, Castiel had grit his teeth, swallowed his pride and gone along anyway, telling himself some good behaviour on his part will help him get back to helping omegas faster.

Like a good royal omega, Castiel sits beside his father and acts as demurely as he can, being polite and smiley with everyone as he never knows whose family he may be joining when his father marries him off. It’s a fairly easy task; after initial chatter from the guests about how beautiful he has become and how soon he will be ready to have babies, everyone generally leaves him alone. Castiel just needs to plaster a pleasant look on his face and tune out, casting a look at Dean every now and then for reassurance from a friendly face.

Only problem is, it is _much_ too chilly to be sitting out on the veranda, at least in Castiel’s opinion it is. As he looks around nobody else seems to be that fussed about the plummeting temperatures, continuing to gossip and devour cakes. He folds his arms tighter across his body and supresses another shiver. He really should have brought a coat out.

He is just considering if he is still young enough to cuddle up to his father whilst they are in the presence of guests just to steal a bit of body heat when he feels someone approach him. He turns his head, brows slightly furrowed.

Dean is bending down to kneel before Castiel’s chair, the white shirt he had been wearing now in his hands. Without the shirt he is left in only an undershirt, exposing a large amount of his broad shoulders, still rather tanned despite the bitter weather. Castiel’s eyes skate over the alpha’s strong biceps and chest before they land on Dean’s face, raising his eyebrows to question what his protector is doing.

“You’re cold,” is all Dean says as he offers his shirt to Castiel.

Well, doesn’t that just turn Castiel’s insides to mush. His omega instincts sing, thrilled to be taken care of by an alpha in such a gentle way.

“But, now _you’ll_ be cold,” he protests weakly.

Dean shakes his head. “I’ll be fine. Please, take it, I know it’s not much but it’s all I have…”

Castiel takes it without any further hesitation at the sincerity in Dean’s voice. He beams, incredibly touched by the sweet, simple gesture. Dean can deny it all he wants but Castiel knows he will definitely be cold now standing in late October weather in only an undershirt. Dean had sacrificed his own warmth to make Castiel happy.

Castiel puts the shirt on over his own clothes, drowning in the oversized fabric and feeling immediately protected from the harsh breeze around them.

“Thank you, Dean,” he smiles.

Dean returns the smile and they gaze at each other, feeling the pull between them but being so restricted in the presence of these people. Castiel knows that everyone is engrossed in their own conversations and do not care in the slightest about an interaction with a servant, but he still knows he shouldn’t stay talking to Dean for too long. It’s not considered proper.

So Castiel drops his gaze and cuddles into Dean’s shirt, inhaling Dean’s unique scent of what he can only describe as leather, cinnamon and the barest hint of apple. Dean steps back to his original position though the little smile on Castiel’s face remains.

He finally looks back up, and immediately catches the eye of Uriel.

Castiel’s face drops and his back straightens, the lingering butterflies in his stomach dropping dead. How long has Uriel been staring at him? How much of the interaction with Dean did he witness?

Uriel’s mouth tilts up in a little smirk, just enough to give Castiel a very good idea as to what exactly is going through his mind right now. But just because warning signs are now flashing in Castiel’s head does not mean he is going to back down and submit so he returns Uriel’s glare, unblinking and unafraid.

He can hold his ground.

After a long moment of this, Uriel appears to realise that his gaze alone is not doing an effective job of intimidating Castiel. Castiel thinks he has won when Uriel turns away, but then realises Uriel is simply turning his attention to the King.

“My Lord,” Uriel starts, in a loud enough voice to attract most people’s attention. “What exactly is Castiel’s servant’s purpose here?”

Castiel’s father turns away from Gadreel and blinks at Uriel, clearly not understanding the question. “Excuse me?”

Uriel can barely hide the smugness in his voice. “His purpose. In the castle. I’m going to hazard a guess; is it to keep Castiel’s bed warm until he finds a husband?”

Castiel’s jaw drops, his blood running cold.

That is _low_ , even from Uriel, to bring up a topic so completely _inappropriate_ in front of all of these people just to humiliate Castiel. If he thought his heart had sunk when he’d first noticed Uriel staring, it has positively dropped to the bottom of his stomach now. His cheeks light up too, colouring fast and scarlet at just how accurate Uriel’s statement actually is. He looks to his father with wide eyes.

Castiel’s father appears as equally as stunned, frowning deeply and snapping, “ _What_?!”

Uriel has the nerve to give a slight smirk. “I must tell you, it’s painfully obvious to anyone who may be observing that the servant is infatuated with Castiel and to be frank, Castiel is doing nothing to discourage it.”

Castiel’s father turns to look from Castiel to Dean. Castiel sees growing suspicion on his father’s face, and he gulps. Murmurs break out amongst the guests.

The King starts to reply to Uriel in a much more controlled and smooth voice, conflicting with the heavy crease still fixed between his eyebrows as he stares at Castiel. “Well, of course the two of them are close. Dean is required to accompany Castiel wherever he goes. But nothing… _inappropriate_ happens between them.” His voice suddenly turns stern. “ _Does it_ , Castiel?”

“No, Daddy,” Castiel replies obediently, his heart racing. Uriel’s accusing eyes aren’t the only ones he can feel on him now; he knows the rest of the people here are interested too, scrutinising him and his protector.

“It better not,” Castiel’s father says firmly, before turning his attention back to Gadreel and continuing his previous conversation.

Castiel blinks, reeling at how quickly the topic was brought up and how even more abruptly his father had put it to bed. He takes a deep breath to calm his pounding heart before it puts a dent in his ribcage, and glances back up at Uriel.

Uriel’s smirk has been replaced with a scowl, irritated at how quickly he had been dismissed by the King. He eventually turns back to Naomi sitting beside him, but from the sharp glares he continues to send Castiel and Dean’s way, Castiel knows this isn’t going to be the last they hear of this.

X

Later that evening, Castiel sits with his father in the dining room as they share some leftover cake from the afternoon. They are alone apart from the guards stood by the door; Castiel had sent Dean down to the servants’ kitchen for some food and a break.

“Stop hogging the chocolate one,” Castiel complains through a mouthful of frosting.

“ _I’m_ hogging it? You practically have my hand off every time I reach for it!”

“Well, I don’t like the lemon one. It’s gross.”

“Hm, I guess it’s not the best, and don’t you dare tell Ellen I said that,” his father says, though he still picks up another forkful of the lemon cake just to let Castiel have more of his favourite. They sit quietly for a while as they eat until the King suddenly says, “Castiel, about what Uriel was saying earlier.”

It dries out all of the flavour of the chocolate Castiel is chewing. He swallows it thickly and puts his fork down on the plate, not feeling quite as hungry as he did a second ago. “What about it?”

“Well, first of all, it was very rude of Uriel to accuse you of… engaging in that sort of behaviour before you’re married and don’t worry, I already had a private word with him about that.”

“You did?” Castiel cannot hide the apprehension from his voice. “How did he respond?”

“He was unusually quiet. I think he was embarrassed.”

“Surely not as embarrassed as I was when he said those things to me,” Castiel grumbles.

“Yes, well. Uriel didn’t fabricate those ideas from thin air, did he?” Castiel’s father pauses to pop another forkful into his mouth. “I know you said nothing inappropriate has ever happened between you and Dean and I believe you –” Castiel can’t help the stab of guilt he feels at that. “– but you didn’t exactly give Uriel or anyone else reason to believe any differently. I know Dean is your friend as well as your protector and I’m glad you have a friend now, but in front of other people, you must not draw attention to yourself like that.”

“What exactly did Dean and I do that looked so terrible?” Castiel can’t help protesting. He knows it’s wrong of them to sleep in the same bed, but during the day when they’re surrounded by people, the two of them always have a safe distance between them and never share particularly long conversations.

“It’s not what you do, it’s the way you do it,” Castiel’s father explains. “Just be mindful of little things like how often you look at each other; Dean shouldn’t actually be making eye contact with you at all but let’s overlook that little rule for now. Try not to interact with him too much when we’re with the council or anyone else; just don’t give them more reasons to be suspicious.”

Castiel huffs, finally picking his fork back up and stabbing the cake on his plate. “It’s really none of their business how I interact with my friend.”

“He’s not your friend to them. He’s your servant. Remember that, honey.”

That night, after Castiel and Dean have gotten into bed and wished each other a somewhat awkward goodnight, Castiel lies wide awake with a million thoughts crashing around his head.

Today had been a close call. Another person, and a council member at that, had seen as clear as day the spark between Castiel and his protector. Castiel’s feelings are of course still a secret, and most importantly so is the fact that Dean sleeps in his bed, but suspicions are starting to arise. It is imperative that the two of them don’t add any more wood to the fire; they need to extinguish the flicker before it grows into a bonfire.

‘ _It’s painfully obvious that the servant is infatuated with Castiel’._

This memory in particular is one that Castiel cannot shake from his mind. Is it true? Does Dean really have such strong feelings for him, or had Uriel simply been trying to get a rise out of him? Castiel’s heart aches with how much he hopes it is true, because he’s starting to think he feels in a very similar way.

It doesn’t feel like just a crush anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy this slightly longer than usual chapter!
> 
> Let me know in the comments what you're thinking about this so far, I love chatting about it with you guys :)
> 
> [Link to my tumblr](http://wingit-spn.tumblr.com/)


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An old friend returns to Aelam.

“I have good news, Castiel!” The King says when he sits down at the table for breakfast one morning.

“Hm?” Castiel is only half listening, far too engrossed in his delicious bacon and eggs to really pay attention. “What is it?”

“Balthazar is home!”

Castiel’s head shoots up and a large grin quickly spreads across his face. “Really? That’s great!”

Castiel hasn’t seen Balthazar since he left to ‘see the world and bang some omegas’ almost a year ago. Castiel has missed him greatly; Balthazar is the only real friend he has been able to make in all his sixteen years (not including Dean who is sort of a different kind of friend). At first glance, anyone would think that Castiel and Balthazar would hate each other since their personalities couldn’t be any more dissimilar, but they actually bounce off each other very well and have great fun together. Balthazar is a few years older but they have been friends since they were both young, thrust together by their fathers when they had become friendly. Balthazar is somewhat similar to Gabriel with his carefree attitude and sexual promiscuity, but Castiel doesn’t find him to be all that smarmy. Maybe he has simply grown used to his friend’s ways after so many years of knowing him.

“Yeah, he arrived yesterday evening and his father sent a message over to us immediately. Would you like to go and see him today?”

“Yes, please. I can’t wait to talk to him; we’ll have so much to catch up on!”

So after breakfast has been eaten, Castiel, Dean and the King as well as a couple of guards get themselves ready for the short distance to Balthazar’s house, where he lives with both of his parents. Castiel has teased Balthazar many times about the fact that he is still living in the home he was born in but Balthazar simply says that he certainly wouldn’t get the same quality of food and care if he was living in his own house.

Castiel shares a horse with Dean for the journey rather than having his own, at his father’s insistence to ensure Castiel is safe. They should not be noticed by the citizens since the journey will take barely half an hour and they tend to stick to quiet routes, but it is just an additional precaution. Castiel rolls his eyes to himself. More like an additional way to stop Castiel running away.

He doesn’t mind one bit to be sharing his protector’s horse though. Dean sits behind him and takes control of the reigns whilst Castiel fills Dean in on everything he may need to know about Balthazar, chattering away excitedly as they walk along.

When they arrive, they are greeted at the gates by a friendly guard with a large, infectious smile. Everyone at Balthazar’s house is always so joyful; even the staff, which is what makes the place so pleasant to be in. They are escorted into the main foyer by the smiley guard, and wait only for a minute before seeing Balthazar’s father walking down the stairs with open arms and a grin as wide as his face.

“Well, if it isn’t my favourite family! So kind of the King to take precious time out of his day to come and visit us lowly folk!” he says in his customary booming voice.

“Get over here, you old bastard!” the King jests, and the two of them laugh as they hug.

“And who’s this little beauty?” Balthazar’s father says when he turns his attention to Castiel. “This surely can’t be the scrawny little kid I saw last time, can it?”

“Oh, please, I’m still that scrawny kid!” Castiel replies with a smile.

“Ah, Castiel!” Balthazar’s father gives him a noisy kiss on the forehead. “Still a real feisty one, aren’t you? Such a shame; you and Balth would have made a fabulous pair.”

There could have been a chance of Castiel and Balthazar being married off together as their two families get along so well, but Balthazar is a beta and since betas and omegas cannot actually conceive children together, it would not have been practical. If they had been born compatible, Castiel would have been perfectly happy to marry Balthazar; whilst there are no romantic feelings between the two of them, he would much rather spend his life wedded to a friend than a stranger.

“Cassie!”

Castiel turns to look at the stairs again and lights up when he sees Balthazar bounding down towards them.

“Balthy!” Castiel beams, holding his arms out.

When Balthazar reaches him, he picks him and swings him around, exclaiming, “Oh, it’s so good to see you!”

Balthazar’s father says to them, “I was just mentioning again how great of a couple you two could have been.”

“Ah,” Balthazar says with an overly solemn expression as he puts Castiel down and takes hold of his hands. “I think about that wasted potential every day. It’s alright, Cassie, try not to cry about it here.”

Castiel rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I’m putting on a brave face.”

“Hey, the sarcasm hurts!”

“I think if we were a couple we’d probably end up killing each other.”

“Oh, Cassie, we’ve been through this! I can’t put a baby in you but I could show you one hell of a good time!”

Balthazar gives him a wet, smacking kiss on his cheek and another hug that lifts him off the ground.

“Well, I think we’ll leave you two to catch up,” the King says with a fond smile as he watches the two of them. He gives Castiel a kiss on the head before starting to walk away with Balthazar’s father, casting back to Castiel, “Behave, you.”

“I always behave, Daddy,” Castiel smiles.

Balthazar starts to lead them off in the opposite direction, Castiel assumes towards the large, airy conservatory that they both liked to frequent their time in before Balthazar left for his travels. He links arms with his friend as they wander down the hallway together.

“Um, Cassie, I’ve only just noticed the beast of a man who’s following you around.”

“Oh!” Castiel casts a quick glance at Dean with a wide smile and then turns back to Balthazar. “This is Dean, my new protector. I got fed up of having so many guards all the time so we hosted some trials and, well, Dean was the best.”

“I see. Good-looking, isn’t he?”

Castiel stares pointedly down at his feet, avoiding the eyes of both his protector and his friend. Castiel can’t imagine Balthazar being particularly subtle or discreet if he noticed Castiel blushing.

Thankfully, Balthazar continues speaking without needing any sort of response. “And kind of scary, wow.”

Castiel snorts. “No, Dean isn’t scary –”

As he speaks, he looks back up at Dean with another smile which drops when he finally gets a proper look at his protector for the first time since arriving here, his voice dying mid-sentence.

Balthazar is right; Dean _does_ look scary. Every muscle in his body is tensed, back ram-rod straight and adding another inch or two to his already towering height. His hands are clenched into fists by his sides, his jaw is tight and his forehead is etched with a frown. Castiel has only seen him like this once before, when Fergus Crowley had made that inappropriate advance on him. But there is no danger here now; Castiel is simply talking to his friend, so why does Dean look on the verge of murdering something?

Has Castiel done something to upset him?

When they reach the conservatory, Castiel and Balthazar flop down onto one of the couches and Dean remains standing, a little off to the side but still within earshot. Castiel sighs as he relaxes into the seat. He has missed this; spending hours with his friend just chatting and being silly in this beautiful, light room that always attracts so much heat even when the breeze outside is blustering and unforgiving.

“So, tell me everything about your travels!” Castiel says to Balthazar, sweeping all of his anxieties about Dean under a metaphorical rug in his head and focusing his energy on his best friend.

“Where do I begin?!”

“Anywhere! I want to know all about your amazing trip.”

“Okay. Guess how many people I had sex with?”

Castiel rolls his eyes so hard it hurts a little. “You’ve spent almost a year exploring the world, you’ve been to places and seen things I could never even dream of, and the first thing you want to talk about is _that_?”

Balthazar smirks. “Have you not met me before?”

Castiel sighs. “Fine. Twenty?”

“Pfft. I could do that in a month.”

“Ew. Fifty?”

“To be honest, I’m not sure how many exactly but I’m thinking it’s definitely a triple digit number.”

“ _Balthy_!” Castiel scolds. “Do you know how unhygienic and dangerous that can be?”

It doesn’t wipe the smug look off Balthazar’s face. “Guess what the highest amount of people I slept with at the same time was?”

“I… I don’t know, three?”

Balthazar’s smirk quickly grows into a shit-eating grin. “Twelve.”

Castiel gives Balthazar a sharp slap on the arm. “I can’t believe you! Can we talk about something else please? At least tell me where you visited.”

“Alright, alright, you’re still a sweet, sensible virgin, I get it.”

As it turns out, Balthazar has been able to see more places than Michael and Gabriel have. He even managed to cross the sea and spend a month abroad; something Castiel feels endlessly envious of. It’s all well and good listening to another person’s stories about what the world outside of the castle is like, but it’s just not the same. When Balthazar describes how incredible it is to board a boat and sail to another land, how is Castiel supposed to imagine that when he has never even seen the coast, or smelt the sea breeze, or felt sand beneath his feet? It all feels horribly unfair.

“So, what’s new in your life then, Cassie? Aside from your new pet tiger,” Balthazar says with a head tilt towards Dean.

“He’s not my _pet_ , he’s my friend.”

“Ah yes, of course, I apologise.” Balthazar turns to Dean and holds his hands up in a surrender sign. “Don’t kill me, okay? It’d make Cassie sad.”

Castiel pokes Balthazar, his feathers ruffling at every interaction his friend has with Dean. Balthazar has a tendency to be a tad patronising, not on purpose of course but it happens sometimes, and Castiel doesn’t want him and Dean to get off on the wrong foot. “Leave him alone. And you’re wrong; I can’t say I’d be _that_ sad.”

“Oh, you wound me, my darling.”

“But to answer your original question, there hasn’t been much going on in my life, though I did have some trouble with the council.”

When Castiel explains what had happened in those meetings and how he had been treated, Balthazar is understandably livid. He does not really have much to do with the council; all he hears is Castiel’s side of the story. Because of this, there is a slight chance that Balthazar’s view on them is a little subjective, swayed by Castiel’s angry perspective.

“They’re such _dicks_ , Cassie. I cannot believe your Dad did that to you.”

“It’s not his fault; he’s just trying to help me. The others though, they were thrilled to have me gone.”

“They don’t deserve you anyway.”

Castiel gives a small smile and dusts off his shoulder. “Well, yeah, tell me something I don’t know.”

Balthazar laughs, and then looks at Castiel with a fond expression. “I might have missed you a little bit while I was gone.”

“Yeah, maybe I missed you a bit too.”

The warm happiness in Castiel’s chest puts a smile on his face, making him feel comfortable and safe in the presence of his friend. He had almost forgotten how close Balthazar and he had been, how he could confide in Balthazar about pretty much anything and not feel embarrassed because despite his friend’s generally outrageous personality, he is still incredibly understanding and loyal.

See, Castiel has been dying to talk to somebody about his inappropriate feelings for a certain servant. His first choice would usually be Gabriel, but Gabriel is far too close to the people who definitely _don’t_ need to know, which is what puts Castiel off telling him. But Balthazar? He doesn’t really have anything to do with the council or the King, and he would never tell anyone if Castiel asked him not to.

Castiel looks at him thoughtfully as he ponders, letting his heart make the decision for him. He _has_ to tell someone – he’s been going crazy keeping all of these confusing feelings to himself for so long. He needs some advice, and whilst Balthazar probably isn’t the most knowledgeable person in regards to romance, he can at least offer a third-party perspective.

“Can I… talk to you about something?” Castiel asks.

“We’re talking now, silly.”

“No, I mean…” Castiel looks up at Dean, and his heart only sinks further to see that Dean does not look any cheerier. He’s glaring daggers at the opposite wall, and it’s putting Castiel on edge and making him hesitant to talk to him. Why does Dean seem so angry? What has Castiel done wrong? “Um, Dean, would you mind giving us a moment…?”

When Dean meets his eyes it sends a chill through Castiel’s body. Yes, he has seen Dean’s anger directed at someone else before but never at _himself_. Dean then casts an even more vicious look at Balthazar before giving a stiff nod and moving away to the other side of the room.

“What’s up his butt?” Balthazar mumbles.

“I… I’m not sure,” Castiel says sadly. “Oh, Balthy, I think I’m in trouble.”

Balthazar’s eyes widen and then immediately fall to Castiel’s stomach. “Oh my God. You’re pregnant.”

Castiel scoffs and smacks him. “ _No_!”

“Ow, okay, fine!” Balthazar rubs his arm and looks back at Castiel with genuine concern. “What then?”

“It’s Dean.” Castiel takes a deep breath, gearing himself up to say the one thing he has been repressing for months, to finally admit it aloud to himself and another person, and to hopefully shed some of the heavy frustration he has managed to build up after so long of living in denial. “I think I might be in love with him.”

Balthazar’s eyebrows practically disappear into his hairline. “Oh, Cassie.”

“I _know_. That’s the first time I’ve admitted it to myself but I think I’ve felt this way about him for a long time now.”

“Has anything… happened between you two?”

“No, we’ve become such good friends I’m scared of ruining things.”

“So you haven’t even kissed?”

“Well…” Castiel’s cheeks tinge pink. “No, but… he sleeps in my bed.”

Balthazar actually gasps aloud. “ _Cassie_ , how scandalous!”

“It’s not quite as erotic as you’re thinking; we stick to our own sides of the bed and we’re both always fully dressed.”

Balthazar sighs. “The Gods have literally handed you a handsome alpha on a silver platter, placed him in bed next to you, and you still haven’t ripped his clothes off and begged him to take you?”

“Have you not met _me_ before? I’m a virgin and I’m extremely awkward; I’m not exactly likely to do anything bold. But I… I can’t stop thinking about him. I know he’s being angry and strange today but he’s never normally like that; he’s gentle and funny and kind to me, and we get along so well and when I’m with him I get butterflies and all I can think about is how much I want to get _closer_ to him. And he’s got really pretty eyes and a strong jaw and I like the way his hair has really blonde streaks when the sun hits it and…”

Castiel stops himself when he realises he’s been rambling on with the most dopey, wide smile on his face, looking back up at Balthazar to gage his reaction.

Balthazar looks highly amused, and a little sympathetic. “You’re so cute.”

Castiel sighs. “What do I do?”

“Personally? I think you should bend over and let him fuck you senseless.”

Castiel’s mouth falls open, his face flushing scarlet as he splutters, “ _Balthazar_!”

“What? You like him, he clearly likes you, so why not?”

Castiel is about the launch into the many reasons as to exactly ‘why not’, but his mind focuses instead on something else Balthazar just said. “What do you mean he clearly likes me?”

“Why do you think he keeps giving me looks that could kill? He’s jealous.”

Castiel casts a sneaky sideways glance at Dean, who is looking out of the window blissfully unaware of the conversation happening on the other side of the room. “He… he is?”

“Yeah. Every time I get too close, or make you laugh, or call you a nickname.”

“Oh. Is that why he’s being so odd?”

“Absolutely. It’s classic, possessive alpha behaviour.”

Castiel shakes his head, squashing the little ball of hope that had begun to bubble in his chest. “Balth, it’s easy for you to say that we should be together, but we _can’t_.”

“Why not?”

“You know exactly why not. He’s a servant.”

“So? Nobody has to know about it, do they? You’re clever; you can be sneaky if you need to be.”

Castiel sighs. “Stop trying to convince me, Balth. Dean and I could never end up together anyway; before long my Daddy will be finding a husband for me and then I’ll be sent off to live with some other family.”

Balthazar looks at him with earnest, thoughtful eyes, so unfamiliar to see on his usually smirking face. “Look, Cassie, I think it’s safe to say that you’re already in too deep. You can deny it all you want but in fact you’re already having an emotional love affair with him – you sleep in the same bed, for crying out loud! The only thing that’s missing is the physical aspect.”

When Balthazar breaks it down like that it all seems so simple. Everything he says is true; Castiel has just admitted to being _in love_ with his protector, and even he isn’t naïve enough to think that those feelings will just vanish anytime soon. Without even realising, Castiel has already reached the point of no return.

Balthazar continues. “Even now, without anything having happened between you two yet, how hurt are you going to be when you have to marry someone else in a few years?”

That is something that Castiel has deliberately avoided thinking about. He can’t bear the idea of it; marrying a complete stranger and maybe losing Dean forever. He has always been indifferent to the fact that one day he’ll be married off; knowing that it won’t get in the way of his work with omegas or seeing his family. But more and more often now he’s coming to despise this faceless, nameless alpha who will one day ruin everything he has with Dean.

Castiel looks down at his lap and mumbles, “I’ll be heartbroken.”

“Exactly. So what difference does it make if you make the most of the time that you have with Dean? You’ve never done anything in your life to make yourself happy, Cassie.”

Well, Castiel has lived a very sheltered life but he wouldn’t say that he has never done _anything_. “Yes I have, my omega activism makes me very happy.”

“No, I mean something for _yourself_ , something selfish and reckless and exciting. You’re always complaining that you are never allowed to go off and have adventures, well _this_ is your adventure right here. What could be more exciting than a secret, torrid romance?”

It does sound thrilling. Castiel has the chance to live his very own romance just like Rick and Esmeralda in his book. Maybe it’s time he stops getting lost in those characters and instead acts on his own desires, taking a bite of a very forbidden fruit. But Castiel is nothing like Esmeralda; he isn’t daring or sexy or confident. How would he initiate such a thing with Dean?

He tries to explain this to Balthazar. “But I’m so inexperienced, what would I even do? I don’t think I’d be able to be the one who admits my feelings first.”

“Hm. Well, if you won’t make the first move, will Dean?”

“What do you mean?”

“We should make him jealous. You’ve seen how riled up he’s already gotten and it’s been barely an hour!”

Castiel frowns, his first instinct telling him that’s a terrible idea. “No, that would be mean.”

“Oh come on, Cassie, a little bit of harmless jealousy has been motivating sexual relationships for centuries.”

“No, stop it.” Castiel stares down at his lap as he picks at his fingernails. “Besides, I wouldn’t even know how to make someone jealous.”

“That’s where I come in.”

Balthazar suddenly pushes himself closer and drapes an arm around Castiel’s waist, pulling both of them back against the couch and cuddling them together.

Castiel tries to wriggle free, uncomfortable with the closeness. Whilst Balthazar is usually one to be touchy-feely, he’s not normally _this_ bad. “What are you doing?”

“Making your alpha jealous, of course. Seeing me touch you will send his mind into overdrive, and make him more inclined to claim you in order to get me out of the way.”

“Oh.”

These sorts of mind-tricks are certainly not anything Castiel is familiar or especially comfortable with, but Balthazar has a way of drawing out Castiel’s irresponsible side. Admittedly, he is quite curious to see what could actually happen if they provoke Dean this way. Castiel isn’t exactly expecting some crazy, jealous, alpha display, especially since such an act could land Dean in very hot water, but it would be interesting to see if it had _some_ kind of effect.

So he lets Balthazar arrange them, pulling his legs up onto the couch to curl up at his friend’s side. Balthazar takes hold of Castiel’s hand and strategically rests it on his chest, and then places his own hand on Castiel’s hip.

“Now we need to get his attention,” Balthazar mutters to Castiel, before saying in a much louder voice, “What can I say, kitten? I couldn’t stay away from my favourite omega any longer.”

Balthazar kisses Castiel’s cheek just as Dean looks up at them, and Castiel’s heart shatters at the sight. The rage has vanished from Dean’s body and been replaced with sagging shoulders and a bowed head. His listless gaze lasts for all of a few seconds before he turns away, rubbing his chest right over his heart like he’s in pain.

Castiel’s heart aches in response, calling out to his alpha and begging to comfort him. “He looks _sad_.”

“That means it’s working.”

Castiel starts to wriggle free, unable to tease Dean this way for a second longer. “This is cruel, Balthy, we need to stop.”

Balthazar relents, and lets Castiel go.

They end up staying the entire day at Balthazar’s house, spending the afternoon together and staying for dinner. When the sun has begun to set and soft streams of cerise and auburn cascade across the sky, Castiel and the King prepare to head home. As Dean and the guards ready the horses and the King wishes goodbye to Balthazar’s father, Balthazar pulls Castiel aside to give him one final piece of advice.

“Give the jealousy thing a try tonight, Cassie. I don’t mean to the same extent as earlier; just plant a little seed in his head. Mention me again, see what his reaction is.”

“Are you sure? What if it just makes him mad?”

“He won’t be mad at you; he likes you too much. Who knows, if it works, you could have lost your virginity by tomorrow morning.”

Castiel rolls his eyes. “That’s not going to happen. But fine, I’ll mention you.”

“Good luck. And keep me updated, okay? I’ll come and visit you soon.”

“Thank you for helping me, Balth. It means a lot.”

Castiel heads over to his protector and the horses but after seeing the look on Dean’s face, he decides that sharing a horse with him is probably not the greatest idea right now. So Castiel timidly asks his father if he can ride with him instead, and tries to pretend he doesn’t notice Dean’s eyes on him for most of the journey home.

X

Dean hasn’t spoken to him all night. They’d gotten into bed and blown out the candles with barely any interaction, and now, ages later, Castiel still cannot seem to fall asleep. He lies on his back, frozen in place as he bites his lip and deliberates his options.

He finally rolls over to face Dean who is lying with his back firmly to Castiel in a subtle display of annoyance. He is still clearly awake, his body rising and falling unevenly with shallow breaths. Castiel sighs to himself and then reaches out to trace his fingers over Dean’s back, something he has done a couple of times before as a sign that he is still wide awake and wants to talk.

It takes Dean much longer to acknowledge Castiel than it normally does. Castiel doesn’t relent, drawing delicate patterns on his protector’s back until he stirs and rolls over. His mouth tilts up at the corners in a small smile, filling Castiel with warmth and hope that perhaps his protector isn’t as mad at him as he seemed to be.

“Hi,” Castiel whispers, smiling back and thrilled to be talking to him again after such a long day of distance between them.

“You okay?”

“Mhm. Are you?”

Dean’s voice is an octave higher than normal. “Y-yeah, I’m good.”

Castiel inches closer. “You sure?”

“Yeah, positive.”

“Okay.” Castiel re-adjusts himself, cuddling up beneath the blankets as his body finally relaxes. “So, what did you think of Balthazar?”

Dean’s eyes widen as he clearly tries to think of a tactful answer. “Uh…”

“That bad, huh? What was wrong with him?”

“He was fine, Cas, it was just… the way he was with you…”

Castiel can’t help defending his friend. “You’re probably thinking he’s some kind of pervert, but he’s really not.”

“It’s just, if anyone else touched you or spoke to you like that you’d hate it, but you just laughed whenever he did it.”

“Because he’s my friend, and he’s only joking most of the time. What did he do exactly that was so bad?”

“Just…” Dean looks like he’s struggling to put his thoughts into words, avoiding Castiel’s eyes and talking in a quiet voice. “You, you never usually like it when other people put their hands all over you and talk about putting _babies_ in you and all that. So… why did you like it when he did it?”

Wow. Balthazar had been right; Dean really _is_ jealous.

“Because I trust Balthazar, he makes me laugh and I like being close to him.”

Dean visibly gulps. “So, you and him, huh?”

Castiel just blinks at him, waiting for him to carry on.

Dean clears his throat. “I guess if the whole beta/omega marriage thing wasn’t a problem you and him would be… you know.”

Castiel looks at Dean for a few moments. He could carry on with Balthazar’s whole jealousy thing and tell Dean that yes, there is a romantic spark between them, but he doesn’t _want_ to. He loves Dean, and he certainly doesn’t want to deliberately hurt him by lying. So he reaches out and strokes a hand down Dean’s forearm, giving him a gentle, reassuring smile. “No. Balthy and I are friends and nothing more.”

“Really?”

“Really. As much as I love him we would definitely not be suited romantically.”

“Oh. So the way he acts with you, it’s all just a joke?”

“Yes. Balthazar is very easy to get along with as long as you don’t take him all that seriously.”

Dean huffs out a laugh, the tense lines around his eyes smoothing out and fading. “Okay.”

Castiel trails a finger over the back of Dean’s hand, a tiny, teasing smirk now on his face. “Were you feeling a little protective over me?”

“That’s my job, you minx.”

His finger continues to stroke Dean’s skin. Castiel looks down coyly and says, “Because if someone was all over _you_ , I can’t say I’d like it very much.”

It brings a smirk back to Dean’s face, and the sight makes Castiel realise just how much he has missed it today. “Okay, maybe I was feeling a little more protective than my job needs me to be.”

Castiel bites his lip to contain his grin, watching the movement of his finger instead of looking into Dean’s eyes. He’s feeling more elated than he has done all day, arguably even more so than when he was reunited with his friend earlier. He adores what he has now; lying in bed with the man he loves and flirting with absolutely no shame.

Dean reaches out and squeezes Castiel’s side where he’s ticklish, saying, “You’re still a minx, though.”

X

One afternoon a couple of weeks after Balthazar’s return, Castiel joins the King and a few of his colleagues for another awkward get-together, just like the one they had out on the veranda. Castiel is much more on edge this time; this very setting is where he got scolded by his father in front of a very smug Uriel and several others about his conduct with a servant, and he certainly doesn’t want another repeat of that today. A small win is that everyone has gathered in one of the drawing rooms instead of outside, so at least there is no need for any spontaneous stripping on Dean’s part.

Castiel is regretting choosing one of the closest seats to the fire. He’s toasty enough as it is wearing an extra sweater over his clothes, and combined with his heightened anxiety from being surrounded by these people again, he is quickly becoming rather uncomfortable.

He has been on his best behaviour for the past hour, not looking in Dean’s direction even once. This is his opportunity to convince everyone that nothing inappropriate is happening with his protector. Uriel is here again today as well as Raphael so Castiel is determined to do nothing to feed their fire.

Speaking of fire… Castiel huffs as he starts to sweat. He decides he’s going to have to shed a layer, so he stands up and pulls his sweater off over his head.

Of course, Uriel’s voice is the first one he hears. “Oh goodness me, Castiel!”

Castiel rolls his eyes as he turns to face Uriel, wondering what bizarre, insignificant problem he could have found with Castiel being too hot.

But Uriel gives his reasoning before Castiel can even snap. “How on Earth have you managed to bruise yourself like that?”

Castiel pales. He looks down at himself to see a strip of his waist exposed from where the sweater has caused his shirt to ride up, a little row of small, finger-shaped bruises lined up right there for everyone to see.

God _dammit_.

Predictably, the King’s ears prick up with shocking alertness, turning towards them with a quick twist of his head as he transforms into Protective Daddy Alpha mode.

“What bruises?” he snaps.

Castiel sighs. “Really, Daddy, it’s nothing –”

“Come here, Castiel.”

Castiel deliberately avoids looking towards Dean as his shoulders slump and he trudges over to his father’s chair, standing in front of him. His father lifts up his shirt and inspects the bruises for a several long seconds, everyone surrounding them watching with bated breath.

His father looks back up at Castiel with rage and concern blazing in his eyes. “Has someone tried to hurt you?”

“ _No_.”

“Then where did they come from?”

Castiel gulps as he weighs up his options. He can’t blame the bruises on either of his brothers; they both left for their final trips before winter just over a week ago, far too long to have left marks that would last. The same applies to Balthazar; they haven’t seen each other since their families had dinner together last Sunday. The bruises currently blooming across his waist are a result of his and Dean’s play fight two nights ago so they are obviously still very fresh.

So who does Castiel say did it? His father is very good at detecting when his children are lying.

He gives in. “It was just Dean.”

The King’s eyes flash. “Dean is responsible for hurting you?”

“ _No_ , Dean would never hurt me. It’s just from combat fighting, I’ve told you that Dean has been teaching me about combat fighting, right?”

His father is having none of it. “Combat fighting is done in protective clothing that would not cause bruises like this.”

“Well, it’s not _proper_ combat fighting, just more like, wrestling. Playing.”

“ _Playing_?” his father repeats incredulously. “Where have you and Dean been _playing_ together?”

“N-Nowhere special, just in my living room or my bedroom.”

The King’s expression turns thunderous. “Why is Dean spending time in your bedroom?”

Castiel flounders, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. He’s trying to be clever about his answers but every one of them seems to be a trapdoor, dropping him further into the pit and landing him in deeper trouble. Not even Gabriel has ever been able to get away with lying when their father is on the case; alpha fathers are particularly firm with a very low tolerance for bullshit.

The King’s eyes narrow when Castiel fails to respond. “Castiel, if there is something you need to tell me then I can get everyone to leave –”

“ _No_ , nothing like that.”

Castiel is bright red now, the feel of many pairs of eyes on him making him fidget as he struggles to speak properly. His father finally takes pity on him and stands up, taking Castiel by the hand and dragging him to the corner of the room, out of earshot of everyone else.

Castiel takes a deep breath, thankful to be away from the unwelcome attention. “I, I still get nightmares sometimes, and I hate being alone when I get them, so a few times I’ve asked Dean to stay with me. Only a few times though.”

“Where does he stay?”

The look on Castiel’s face gives his father all the information he needs.

“Castiel, you are not telling me that you’ve been letting your servant stay in your bed, are you?”

“Daddy, it’s not like that. He’s stayed a few times just so I knew that someone was nearby, it was for reassurance. I felt too guilty to make him stay on the floor.”

His father fixes him with a hard stare, exhaling sharply through his nose. “I’m very disappointed in you, Castiel. I would have thought you’d know better than to do something so irresponsible. Next time you have one of these nightmares, you come to me, or one of your brothers. Nobody else. Do you understand?”

Castiel nods glumly. “Yes, Daddy.”

“This isn’t the first time Dean has been a problem. Don’t think I’ve forgotten what happened with Uriel a few weeks ago.”

“He’s _not_ a problem, it’s just a few silly little things that sound worse than they are just because Uriel is one who brought them up.”

“Look, I’ve told you before that I’m pleased you have a new friend, but you need to calm it down now and stop drawing attention to yourself. Promise?”

“I promise.”

“Good.” His father takes hold of his chin to give him a kiss on the forehead. “Don’t make me take him away from you, okay?”

X

Castiel and Dean wander down the hallway together, both reeling a little after that disaster with the King. Castiel is so _angry_ with himself. How could he have been so stupid, to let another secret slip through the cracks? His father and the council now know that Dean has slept in Castiel’s bed, something that the two of them could have gotten into serious trouble for. A small comfort is that nobody knows that it’s a nightly occurrence, and most importantly, nobody has an idea of the way Castiel and Dean flirt and touch when they are in bed together.

But what happened today has been quite an eye-opener. It has made Castiel realise just how reckless they have been lately and if they carry on this way, there is a high chance of it ending in disaster. All of that hope he had been filled with after unloading his worries to Balthazar has now gone, and he has been reminded of the harsh reality of their situation. Maybe a secret romance just isn’t on the cards for someone like Castiel.

“Maybe we should sleep separately tonight,” Castiel says to Dean with a sigh. “Just in case someone comes to check on us.”

“Yeah, I think you’re right. I thought for sure today I was a goner when your Dad started raging.”

Castiel gives a weak smile. “Yeah, he’s kind of scary when he gets all overprotective like that.”

“So I guess we should, you know, stop our fighting practices and that, huh?”

Castiel shakes his head. “I’m sure we can carry on, so long as you promise to stop leaving evidence of the fights on me.”

Dean looks down at the floor. “I’m sorry. I knew I was being too rough with you.”

“It’s not your fault; I told you it was okay. It was my mistake for accidentally flaunting it in front of everyone earlier.”

“You did it on purpose, didn’t you?” Dean teases. “You just wanted to get me into trouble.”

Castiel smiles back at him. “Damn, you know me too well.”

They’re joking with each other, but their voices are laced with sadness. Castiel is not looking forward to spending a lonely night in a too-large bed, and he has a sneaky feeling Dean is feeling a similar way.

Why does everything have to be so difficult for them?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a whopping six and a half thousand words. Enjoy!
> 
> Things are starting to get a little tense for Cas and Dean, aren't they?
> 
> [Link to my tumblr](http://wingit-spn.tumblr.com/)


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean learns more about the odd 'arrangements' for Castiel's heat, and a difficult night for Dean brings the two of them closer.

When Castiel wakes up the next morning with crusty eyes, a headache and a groan on his lips, he vows to never make Dean sleep in a separate room again. It had quite possibly been the worst night’s sleep he’s had in a long time for so many reasons. First, he’d been so cold that even piling all the blankets he owns on top of him didn’t work. Then, he couldn’t find a comfortable position in the too big and much too empty space, and then there had been absolutely no one nearby to chat to when he found himself still wide awake after blowing out the candles.

All he’d been able to think about was Dean lying in another room, equally as alone, and how much he wanted his protector back with him. With each passing hour Castiel had found himself caring less and less about the council’s concern and his father’s warning, as the want for his protector only grew stronger.

When Castiel finally rolls out of bed and goes to meet Dean, he is somewhat comforted by the fact that Dean looks just as tired as he feels. They blink at each other for all of a few seconds before Castiel cracks.

“Please tell me you slept just as badly as I did.”

“I think it’s safe to say I did.”

Castiel rubs his eye, partly to ease the soreness there but also to avoid Dean’s gaze. “I kind of missed having you next to me.”

Dean gives him a sleepy smile. “Yeah, I kind of missed you too.”

“Forget what my father said; will you please come back to my bed tonight?”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

X

That night, Castiel and Dean settle down in bed together with matching bright smiles. Despite both of them being in dire need of an early night they stay up for much longer just talking to each other and enjoying the late night antics that they’d both missed so much the night before.

“So, what’s the plan for tomorrow?” Dean asks.

Castiel thinks for a moment and then sighs when he remembers exactly what day it’s going to be. “My heat is due again tomorrow or the day after. I always dread when it comes.”

“Can I ask you a question?” Dean asks with caution clear in his voice. “Why do you hate your heats so much?”

Castiel frowns at Dean incredulously. “Why wouldn’t I hate them? They _hurt_.”

“What do you mean they hurt?”

This brings back memories of the last conversation the two of them had about Castiel’s heat all those weeks ago. Dean had almost acted as though Castiel had been speaking in another language, and to this day Castiel still isn’t quite sure what had been such a problem.

So he explains in a hesitant voice, “They cause me a lot of pain, stomach cramps and aches all over my body.”

Dean’s eyes are wide, combined with a deep frown and slightly parted mouth that makes Castiel squirm. Dean blinks a few times before he manages to speak again. “Cas, heats aren’t supposed to cause pain. None of the omegas at my safe house ever complained about pain when they were in heat.”

“Well, maybe they were just too embarrassed to tell you about it.”

“Look, Cas, I don’t mean to lecture you about your own body but you shouldn’t be getting stomach cramps just from a heat. What actually happens during your heat? Walk me through it.”

“I stay in my father’s room to keep alphas away, and then I lie in bed and wait for it to end.”

The appalled look Dean gives him is not exactly reassuring. “Are you serious?”

Castiel blinks back at him, his heart beginning to thump more forcefully against his chest. “You’re making me anxious, am I doing something wrong?”

“Do you not… you know…” Dean eyes dart away like he’s finding it difficult to keep eye contact. “Touch yourself when you’re in heat?”

Castiel’s breath leaves him in a rush, and his entire body goes hot and cold. “No, of course not! It’s wrong in the eyes of the Gods, I’d get such a scolding from my father.”

“Cas, _that’s_ what’s causing the pain! If omegas in heat don’t touch themselves all this pressure builds up inside them and starts to hurt. Is that why you have so many people staying in the room with you?”

“Yes, I have my father for reassurance and to keep an eye on me, and the maids to cool me down and change the bedding regularly.”

Dean’s face clears with understanding. “I always thought it was weird that you weren’t left alone.”

“You thought I was… doing _that_ in front of the maids and my father?!”

“Well, yeah, I just thought you royal people were weird!”

“Oh gosh, that’s very embarrassing.” Castiel runs a hand through his hair. “So, I’m _supposed_ to… do that to myself?”

“Of course, it’s natural, it’s what your body needs.”

“Then why have I been told differently my whole life?”

Dean sighs heavily, a solemn expression fixed upon his face. “You royals are much more hung up on the Gods than we are. You put pride ahead of what’s truly best for you, but in truth it’s just making you suffer. All that built up pressure and pain isn’t good for you; it can even cause problems during pregnancy if it gets really extreme.”

Castiel pushes himself up to lean on his elbow, gaping down at Dean with wide eyes. “Seriously? Oh my gosh, what if I have difficult pregnancies? What if I can’t get pregnant at all?”

“Hey,” Dean says sternly, stopping Castiel’s panic before it spirals. “I said that was only in extreme cases, very unlikely it’ll happen to you. But for now, you need to make sure that you get some alone time during your next heat. Talk to your Dad about it.”

Castiel nods. “Okay, I will.”

“Good. You don’t deserve to be in pain like that, Cas.”

“Mm. I always thought it was such an awful punishment for omegas to receive once every six weeks. I’d wonder what it was that I’d done wrong. It’s kind of exciting, that I hopefully won’t have any more heat pains now!”

X

Castiel spends the following night in his father’s bedroom, just as a precaution in case his heat arrives whilst he is sleeping. He has already gotten himself washed and changed, and now he sits upright in bed with an open, forgotten book in his lap as he ponders what he is going to say to his father. He hasn’t brought up what Dean said about his heat yet; to be frank the thought of discussing such a thing with his parent makes Castiel blush. But the idea of having to spend another two days bed-bound by cramps and writhing in discomfort motivates him, forces him to push aside his trepidations and be bold.

His father returns from the bathroom and heads over to the bed, casting a small smile at Castiel as he approaches him.

Castiel takes a deep breath, taking the leap of faith whilst he has the courage.

“Daddy, can I talk to you? About my heat?”

“What about it?”

“I was just wondering if the arrangements of my heat could be a little… different this time.”

His father sits down on the bed next to him, frowning. “Different? What do you mean?”

“Well, I was talking to Dean and… he said my heats aren’t particularly... _normal_. He said I shouldn’t be in so much pain and to stop it I need to… well…”

He drifts off, vaguely gestures to his crotch to save himself from having to actually say the embarrassing words.

Predictably, his father looks horrified. “ _No_ , Castiel, that is incredibly shameful in the eyes of the Gods, you know that! How could you even suggest such a thing?”

“Because, I, I’m always in so much pain and Dean said this will make the pain end.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Castiel. You’re not going to do something so shameful just because a servant has told you to!”

Castiel huffs. Just because Dean is a servant doesn’t mean he’s clueless, and it irritates Castiel to no end that so many royals fail to see this. “But Dean said that not doing it could even cause problems in pregnancy!”

“That’s a myth. Heats have never been responsible for a single difficult pregnancy in this family. I’m rather disappointed in you for being so gullible, Castiel.”

Castiel bites his lip to stop himself from snapping at how his father could possibly know that bad heats are not a cause for difficult pregnancies. “Daddy, you don’t understand. I get such awful cramps in my belly; I just want any way to make it stop. Please, let me try this just once.”

“No. You could be condemned to Hell for such an act, it’s not a proper thing for an omega to do. The cramps are just a way of your body urging you to find a partner because your omega instincts want you to fall pregnant. It’s completely normal, and every omega in our family has dealt with it the same way.”

“But aren’t you even a little bit concerned that it could cause long-term problems for me?”

“It _won’t_ , Castiel. To tell you the truth, I’m rather angry at Dean for filling your head with such nonsense. I think I’ll need to have a talk with him about this.”

Castiel stomach drops. He puts a hand on his father’s arm as if to hold him in place, as if he’s going to go storming off to find Dean right now. “ _No_ , don’t be cruel to him, Daddy, please. He was just trying to help me.”

His father stares back at him for a few seconds and then exhales sharply through his nose. “Fine. Yes, I know he’s just trying to help you but he seems to forget that he is from a land that is very, very different to ours. I don’t want you to be… influenced.”

Castiel turns the conversation back to the topic at hand, not wanting to give his father any more reason to doubt Dean. “So I’m still going to have to endure this pain every time I’m in heat?”

“Don’t say it like that. The effects of heat are simply part of an omega’s life, and you’re very strong for going through it.”

Castiel doesn’t say anymore, all too aware that he’ll probably say something he’ll regret. He tosses his book onto the bedside table with more force than necessary and punches his pillow, lying down and wriggling irritably to find a comfortable position.

He manages to drift off into a light slumber for around an hour, before he receives an unpleasant awakening in the form of a throb in the pit of his stomach. He groans weakly. His heat is arriving.

He rolls onto his back to stretch out, taking a few deep breaths to ease the ache a little. It’s not particularly awful right now since it’s only just the beginning, and the aches will only spread and become worse throughout the night, but it’s still not exactly pleasant. The candles in the room have already been blown out and his father looks to be asleep so there is nothing for Castiel to do besides lie there and try to get as much rest as he can before he is in too much pain for sleep to be an option.

It works for a short while. The aches in his stomach start off weak enough for Castiel to ignore them fairly easily, though that never seems to last for very long. Within an hour the aches have developed into cramps, periodic waves of pain stabbing deep in Castiel’s stomach. He huffs, fidgeting in discomfort and failing to find a half-decent position to sleep in.

This isn’t _fair_. After the conversation with Dean, Castiel had been thrilled to think that he’d finally found a way to end the agony he faces every six weeks. But he has been denied it by his own father, who would rather Castiel be in pain than do something that is considered ‘shameful in the eyes of the Gods’. Again, it seems as though Castiel is being punished simply because he is an omega with royal blood.

The sheer frustration he feels at the injustice of his situation, along with months of having to deny his love for Dean and the cramps seizing up his body sends Castiel toppling over the edge, and his vision is suddenly clouded by a thick layer of tears. His breath hitches as a tear bubbles over, slipping down his face and onto the pillow beneath him.

He tries to keep his sobs silent but he still manages to attract the attention of his father. He isn’t particularly chatty; he just reaches out a hand and rubs circles onto Castiel’s stomach in a small bid to ease some of the ache.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I know it’s infuriating, but you understand where I’m coming from, don’t you? I just want you to have a good life; I don’t want you to be cursed with bad luck forever.”

Castiel wipes roughly at his cheeks, though the tears continue to fall. He personally isn’t as religious as his father or other members of the older generation, so whilst he understands that his father is just trying to protect him, he doesn’t see the purpose of hurting himself just to appease the Gods. He doesn’t voice any of his scepticism to his father though. Yes, Castiel will mouth off to the council all he wants but he would never be that bold and brazen with his father; he has too much love and respect for him.

So he takes another deep breath to calm his cries, knowing that all this weeping will do nothing to help his stomach cramps, and lets the movement of his father’s hand soothe him back to sleep. Another two days of this anguish to go.

X

The first day after Castiel’s heat finishes is a rather pleasant one. It had been a quiet afternoon spent in the study with Dean, listening to the pitter-patter of rain on the pebbles outside as they sat at the table, working diligently and enjoying a little tray of snacks. With Castiel’s help, Dean has recently started to write, something they are both ecstatic with. The way Dean smiles to himself whenever he successfully writes another sentence truly makes Castiel’s heart sing. He never thought he could meet an alpha who is so tough, so intimidating, and yet so incredibly precious at the same time. Every one of Dean’s smiles pulls Castiel in deeper, making him fall a little more in love each time.

To top off the enjoyable day, the rain has continued to develop into the beginnings of a storm. Many people generally hate storms like this but Castiel feels quite the opposite; he much prefers winter weather over summer, and he finds the sounds of distant thunder and pounding rain to be rather relaxing to listen to.

By the time Castiel and Dean have headed to bed, the storm is in full-swing and raging outside. Wind howls at the windows, tearing up the gardens outside and causing a stir across the grounds. The trees fight back in a fluster, leaves rippling and battling against the harsh gust before they quickly succumb, swept up into the gale and swirling far away. Castiel snuggles beneath his blankets and sighs deeply, allowing the soothing ambience of the rainstorm lull him to sleep.

But there is something, he doesn’t know what, that is keeping him awake. Every time he begins to drift off he is pulled back into reality with a little crease between his eyebrows, too uneasy to sleep again. This continues until Castiel finally drags his eyes open, blinking around at the dark room to find the source of his restlessness.

Trembling. The blankets surrounding him are vibrating ever so slightly, just enough for Castiel to be aware of them. He frowns again, his sleep-foggy mind taking a long moment to decide if it’s his own body creating the disturbance, or if it’s something else. But no, Castiel is not nearly cold enough to be quivering in such a way, so that can only mean…

“Dean?”

Castiel turns to look over his shoulder at his protector. He is only faced with Dean’s shoulder that peeks out above the blankets, giving away the small, involuntary movements of his protector’s body.

Castiel inches closer, murmuring, “Are you still cold? Want some of my blankets?”

His stomach twists into a knot when Dean’s only response is a shaky exhale.

“Dean?” Castiel is suddenly much more awake, and he shuffles closer to stroke Dean’s exposed shoulder. “Are you okay? Please, look at me.”

It takes a few moments for him to roll over, and when he does, Castiel’s heart drops to his stomach at the sight of Dean’s watery eyes.

“Dean, what’s wrong?” Castiel gets as close as he dares, gently rubbing his protector’s arm and gazing at him in concern.

“It’s nothing, Cas,” Dean mutters.

“I don’t mean to tell you that you’re wrong but it doesn’t _sound_ like nothing.”

Dean lets out a heavy sigh. “It’s just… I’m not really the biggest fan of thunderstorms.”

Castiel raises his eyebrows. “Oh.”

He often forgets that Dean is from the southern lands, where storms are much more infrequent and usually even worse than they are in the north. Whilst Castiel rather enjoys listening to a storm, he hadn’t even thought about how Dean might have felt.

“I know it’s a stupid thing to be afraid of but… it just makes me think about everyone back home,” Dean explains, unable to look Castiel in the eye. “We… we don’t have much money and not all of our houses are very stable. When a storm hits, it’s pretty rough. There’s hardly ever enough firewood or warm clothes so everyone is freezing, there’s less food, and sometimes if it’s real bad buildings can get knocked down.”

“I had no idea it could be so bad,” Castiel says, his chest tight with sympathy. He’s consumed with guilt; it’s possible he enjoys the storm because he can listen to the rain outside whilst he’s safe and confined within a large, sturdy castle with more firewood and blankets than he even needs. But there are people like Dean’s family out there whose lives can be ruined by an overnight storm, struggling to get by with so few resources and panicking at the first claps of thunder.

“I can’t help worrying about Sam and Bobby, and all our friends. I hope they’re coping okay, you know?”

Castiel nods, but before he can reply, there’s a loud, aggressive clap of thunder just outside the castle and Dean jerks in response. Castiel acts on his instincts, pulls Dean closer and wraps his arms around him. Dean tenses up, frozen for all of a few seconds before he warms into the touch and drapes an arm over Castiel’s waist. They cuddle together like that, protected in their own safe cocoon and revelling in each other’s comfort and body heat.

Castiel’s pulse has sky-rocketed. Dean and he have touched many times before but never quite like this, they’ve never _held_ each other this way. It’s quite possibly the most intimate moment of Castiel’s life; knowing that this fearless alpha is placing his trust in him, letting Castiel see him when he’s vulnerable.

“They’ll be safe, Dean,” Castiel reassures him. “They’ve dealt with storms before and they’ll do it again just fine. Besides, I imagine it’s far too early in the season for the south to be getting storms, right?”

Dean nods, his hair tickling Castiel’s jaw line and causing goosebumps to erupt up and down his arms. “Yeah. Yeah, you’re right.”

Castiel allows his lips to brush against Dean’s forehead, kissing the skin there with all the tenderness he can muster. In response, Dean rubs a large, warm hand over Castiel’s waist, stimulating the nerve endings and heating the skin. Castiel shudders, and tightens his grip.

But tonight isn’t about flirting or pushing the boundaries through a series of increasingly risqué touches, it’s about reassuring his alpha whilst he’s unhappy. Castiel certainly isn’t going to take advantage of Dean’s vulnerability by using this time to explore the spark between them. It wouldn’t be right.

So Castiel just allows his fingers to trace over Dean’s back, stroking up and down his spine in gentle, smooth movements. Dean’s own hand hasn’t stopped in its ministrations either, pushing up Castiel’s nightshirt just a fraction and caressing the strip of bare skin there.

“Thanks, Cas,” Dean murmurs.

“You’re welcome, Dean. I’m here for you whenever you need me, okay?”

Whilst the conversation ends there, the charged embrace does not. Neither of them loosens their grip on the other’s body, and as Castiel breathes in Dean’s intoxicating scent of alpha and gentle hint of soap, all he can think of is how he wants to end every night in this position for the rest of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case anyone is starting to worry about Castiel and Dean's future - yes, the journey is gonna be a bumpy one but there WILL be a happy ending! (And by that I don't mean they're just going to run away together.) So please please stick with this story, I'm so excited for you all to see where it goes!
> 
> [Link to my tumblr](http://wingit-spn.tumblr.com/)


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winter is coming.

Winter is now fast approaching. Dark and dreary skies smother the lands, creating a chill that penetrates bone-deep and forces civilians into the safe indoors. The blustering wind lashes out and batters the trees, already bare-branched and ice-kissed from weeks of frost. The only sources of light are the crystalline snowflakes that glisten against the dull grey grounds, their gorgeous and gentle appearance conflicting with the harsh cold and biting gales.

Castiel spends much of his time tucked up beside a fire, toasting himself as he gazes out of the window, mesmerised by how this shimmering, beautiful season can cause such disrupt to everyone’s lives.

Someone who has been particularly disturbed by the wintry weather is Dean. Night-time storms are frequent now, as are the secret cuddles the two of them share beneath their blankets. There is no denying that the rainstorms will have reached the southern lands by now, which has caused Dean to panic about his family’s safety more and more often. His reactions are generally subdued and internal but Castiel is familiar enough with Dean now to know when he is struggling, and he provides his protector with the comfort he needs.

In all honesty, there is a tiny, selfish part of Castiel which feels somewhat glad for the storms, because he doesn’t imagine Dean and he would have become so physically close without them. He has almost become accustomed to waking up nestled under Dean’s chin, cosy and content until he becomes aware of his surroundings and wriggles away before Dean stirs. There is no place Castiel feels safer than when he’s in his protector’s arms, and it makes his heart heavy to know that what they have now cannot last.

This quiet Monday night is no different to every night of the past week. Dean groans at the first clap of thunder and in response, Castiel shuffles over to his side of the bed and kisses his cheek. Dean fists a hand into Castiel’s nightshirt and huffs, his breath heating Castiel’s neck and making him tingle.

“I hate this,” Dean grumbles. “I hate that I can’t shut my mind up. I hate that I don’t know if they’re okay or not.”

Castiel rubs a hand over Dean’s chest – that selfish part of him singing at the contact – and hums. He’s about to tell Dean what he’s been telling him for the last few weeks; that he’s sure Sam and Bobby are warm and healthy, that they know how to protect themselves, that they wouldn’t like Dean lying awake at night worrying, when a different thought occurs to him instead. It’s an idea that seems so obvious and foolproof that he’s a little embarrassed he hadn’t thought of it until now.

“Hey, you’ve been writing for a while now, how about you send a letter to them? It’s been so long since you’ve had any contact with them, imagine how pleased they’d be!”

Dean perks up. “Could I? I didn’t think servants were allowed to use mailing services.”

“I think they are. Well, even if they’re not, that can definitely be changed. Oh, and we could send your family some things to help them! We have so many resources here and we probably won’t even use a lot of them, there’d be plenty to send down to Lawrence.”

“Really? What kind of resources?”

“Firewood, blankets, food, anything that will keep them safe and warm enough.”

“Yeah?” Dean props himself up on his elbow, beaming down at Castiel. “You could do that?”

Castiel smiles back at him, bursting with excitement that he’ll be able to help a small town of people and make Dean happy again. “Of course. First thing tomorrow, we can start organising some carriages to send down.”

“Wow. Thank you, Cas, that’d mean the world.” Dean lies back down, face mere inches away from Castiel’s, so beautiful and striking in the gleam of the moonlight. “You’re pretty incredible, you know that?”

Castiel looks away as he hides his smile behind a hand, and when Dean wraps an arm around him to pull him into a hug, Castiel does nothing to fight it.

X

The next morning as soon as breakfast is over, Castiel busies himself organising the carriages to send to Lawrence. First of all, he checks what available supplies there are in the pantries and closets, and writes a detailed list of what they will be able to send. When he’s pleased with what he has so far, he gathers a group of servants in the kitchen to tell them of the plans and then assigns everyone to a certain job. He is careful not to tell the servants that this is for Dean’s hometown specifically as he doesn’t want there to be any bitterness or disagreements. Besides, he plans to send supplies to not only Lawrence, but several small towns which are prone to suffering during the winter months so there should be no reason for anyone to think that any place is getting preferential treatment.

Whilst the servants are busy gathering the supplies, Castiel and Dean head up to the library to write the letter to Sam and Bobby. Dean has become much more confident in writing over the weeks but he still appreciates having Castiel beside him to ensure that he is doing it correctly.

Dean begins the letter by bombarding Sam and Bobby with questions regarding their well-being, how the omega safe house is holding up and if everyone in Lawrence is coping well with the bitter cold. He tells them all about Aelam, the castle, his job, and what the people are like here.

It is at this point when Dean glances sideways at Castiel and shiftily asks him to not pay attention to the next part of letter, for reasons unnamed.

Castiel doesn’t question it, he just nods and opens up his book to lose himself in Rick and Esmeralda’s latest passionate escapades. He’s more cautious about reading this now in front of Dean since Dean’s reading ability has improved so much, but his protector never shows much interest in Castiel’s novels. Castiel is glad for this; he has already lied about the contents of this book once and he certainly doesn’t want to be caught out on it by Dean.

As Dean writes, Castiel can’t resist a couple of sneaky glances down at the paper. He personally isn’t sure what Dean could be writing that he isn’t allowed to see; maybe it’s something about him? What if it’s something bad? Castiel’s blood runs cold at the thought of Dean secretly hating here, pouring all of his frustrations into the letter and begging for someone from his hometown to come and rescue him.

Another subtle shuffle closer to Dean finally brings Castiel close enough to see a tiny portion of the letter, and he peers down to read a few of the words;

‘ _Cas is stunning, and I think_ –’

Dean’s hand moves to start the next line, effectively covering the rest of the sentence. Blood rushes to Castiel’s cheeks and he looks away, suddenly shy. The compliment warms him up from the inside and makes him feel all mushy and tingly; it’s very pleasant to know such a thing, especially when the feeling is very mutual. It raises a few questions though. What does Dean think about Castiel? What would that have to do with how attractive Dean finds him? Is it a good thought or a bad thought?

These are questions that Castiel will have to keep to himself, unfortunately. There is not going to be a subtle way of asking Dean what he meant without giving away the fact that he had been peeping. Castiel does his best to stow the questions away in a corner in his head, and returns to his book.

When Dean is finished with his letter, he folds the paper up before Castiel can see anymore, and tucks it away in an envelope. The grin he gives Castiel is reassuring, making him believe that his protector can’t have written anything too bad for him to be smiling this way. Castiel smiles back, and together they leave the room and head downstairs to the kitchen, where the rest of the supplies are being prepared.

There are three carriages almost full to the brim, bursting with firewood, fleece, blankets and plenty of food; bread, herbs and seasonings, nuts, rice and wine to name a few.

Castiel smiles at the sight. Helping people in this way always gives him great joy. It appeases some of the guilt he feels for being born into royalty and therefore automatically receiving such luxuries without technically having worked for it all. There is also a little part of him that does these sorts of things to make himself feel useful, like he’s not just sitting around all day waiting to be married off. Charitable work makes him believe he has more of a purpose.

Castiel hands Dean’s letter to one of the guards who will be riding down to Lawrence, with strict instructions to make sure it is delivered to Sam Winchester or Bobby Singer and nobody else. The guards mount their horses, and when the carriages’ stability is checked for a final time, they set off. Castiel and Dean watch them leave, the horses’ hoof prints being quickly doused away by the smooth roll of the carriage wheels.

“Thank you again, Cas,” Dean says again, a pleased smile spread wide across his face.

“You don’t have to thank me, Dean. C’mon, let’s get out of this cold, my feet are starting to go numb.”

X

Since it takes almost five days to get to Lawrence, Castiel and Dean know not to expect a reply too soon, possibly not until the middle of next week. A couple of days have already passed since the guards had left with the carriages. Castiel himself doesn’t really have any duties to attend to, but his father is busy welcoming more guests to the castle; the Lord of some town Castiel has personally never heard of before and his family. The King insists it is important for them to leave a good first impression on the family since they have never met in person before.

The King has guests like these all the time; it’s all about making connections in royalty as allies are always essential. Castiel puts on the usual act; plasters on a demure smile and says a few words, and then stays just long enough to be polite before heading off to his bedroom. It is fairly late in the evening and already the sky is a palette of greys, stars hidden behind a mass of clouds heavy with rain.

Dean isn’t here; he and a few other servants have been called down to the stables to tend to the visitors’ horses and show the guards of the family where they need to be.

Castiel has already gotten himself changed and ready for bed, wearing nothing but an old, oversized shirt of his father’s. He sits on his bed and reads some of his book for something to do as he waits for his protector to return to him.

The sound of footsteps coming down the hallway just outside of his bedroom makes Castiel perk up, assuming it’s Dean on his way back up. But when the footsteps get closer and much louder, he frowns. There’s more than one person out there, and Castiel has no idea who it might be since the hallways are usually quiet and mostly empty at this time in the evening. Castiel casts his book aside and straightens up, staring at the door with bated breath as the footsteps stop outside of his room.

His bedroom door is all but shoved open and someone is pushed into the room, stumbling at the rough treatment but remaining upright. Castiel releases the breath he’d been holding when he sees that the person is Dean, but his relief appears to be short-lived.

Dean is followed in by Castiel’s father, who takes hold of the collar of Dean’s shirt and drags him further into the room like he’s grabbing the neck scruff of a misbehaving dog. Another guard enters the room behind them but there doesn’t appear to be anyone else.

“For heaven’s sake, Castiel!” The King snaps. “You need to start controlling your servant better!”

Castiel leaps off his bed and hurries over to them, his stomach dropping like a ton of bricks at the sight of blood on Dean’s shoulder, leaking from a messy tear in his shirt. “What are you talking about? Daddy, let go of him, he’s clearly hurt!”

His father drops Dean’s shirt and Castiel does a quick inspection of the wound. It looks to be quite a deep cut, though thankfully it will likely not need stitches.

Castiel turns to the guard and orders, “Go and get us bandages, a bowl of water and rubbing alcohol!”

The guard leaves in a haste. The King shows little interest in Dean’s injury and goes on to explain just what on Earth had happened. “He was found brawling with the visiting guards of my guest in the horse stables!”

“Fighting?” Castiel turns to Dean and frowns. Dean stares down at the ground and breathes deeply, his pulse in his neck thumping like crazy.

His father continues to rant. “If I have important guests over, I need to make a good impression! How are people going to think of my family and me if their guards are assaulted by my servants upon arrival?!”

“Well, there must be an explanation, Dean wouldn’t just start a fight for no good reason!”

“Tell us then!” The King turns to Dean. “What possessed you to attack our visitors? They said you were unprovoked.”

Dean breathes sharply through his nose, taking a moment to gather himself before replying. “They were… speaking ill of Castiel, Your Majesty.”

Castiel’s stomach plummets at the thought of someone saying something unkind about him. It’s certainly not a pleasant thing to hear, but at least it provides an explanation for why Dean had done such a thing.

“See, Daddy?” Castiel says, ignoring the heaviness in his chest as he tries not to imagine what he possibly could have done to offend these strangers. “He was just defending me from rude guards, that’s his _job_.”

His father sighs, and his voice is much calmer when he says, “I still don’t appreciate the fuss that has been made of it, but thank you for defending Castiel.”

Dean only nods, his gaze still fixed on the floor.

The King gives Castiel a kiss on the top of his head. “And I’ll have a word with those guards, baby. If they were being vulgar then I can assure you they won’t be staying here for long.”

Castiel nods. His father bids him goodnight and then leaves to go and speak to the guards.

After a deep sigh, Castiel turns back to Dean, who is still very reluctant to make any sort of eye contact.

“Are you okay? Thank you for what you did,” Castiel says, trying to reassure him enough to make him look up.

“Don’t worry about it, Cas.” Dean finally peeks up at him, his mouth twitching at the corners in a weak attempt at a smile. “You don’t have to thank me.”

“Come and sit down, I need to look at your shoulder.”

Castiel ushers Dean over to the bed and sits him down on the edge. “This looks painful; we’ll need to get your shirt off.”

Dean’s injured shoulder hurts too much for him to move it so Castiel does his best to peel the ruined shirt off himself without making the cut even worse. Dean winces but, ever the alpha, barely makes a sound when Castiel tugs the damaged skin, finally ridding him off the blood-soaked material.

The guard arrives with the healing supplies Castiel had asked for, so Castiel gets up to take them from him and relieve him for the night. When he sits back down beside Dean, he busies himself soaking the cloth in rubbing alcohol so that he can properly clean the wound.

Dean shudders at the first press of cloth against his shoulder. Castiel is hugely sympathetic; he has only had rubbing alcohol used on him a few times in his life (mostly as a child after falling and grazing his knees) so he is all too aware of how much the stuff stings.

“So, what happened exactly?” Castiel asks, unable to suppress his curiosity any longer.

Dean’s jaw clenches and his hands tighten into fists, as though he’s getting riled up just from the memory. “I was taking the bags off the horses and the guards were on the other side of the stable, they didn’t know I was there. They started… saying things about you and I, I just flipped. I ran out and tackled one to the ground so the other two started on me. I didn’t mean to make it into a fight, I was just so mad I wasn’t thinking straight.”

“Well, if they were being rude then they deserved it. How did it end?”

“I’d knocked two of ‘em out cold. One of them shoved me against a wall that had a rusty nail sticking out of it; that’s how I cut my shoulder. I was about to go for the last one when some our guards came in and broke it up.”

Castiel can’t help his heart fluttering. His alpha is strong enough to take on three other men and come out with only a single injury, all in the name of protecting Castiel. His omega instincts are pushing to the front of his mind, thrilled that he has an alpha who is able to take such good care of him. The feeling reminds him all too much of a recent chapter of his book, in which Rick is injured and Esmeralda tends to his wounds in a very similar way to what Castiel is doing now, before their primal desires take over and passionate love-making takes place.

“Well, if it’s any consolation, I think you’re very courageous. Only a strong alpha like you could take on three men at the same time.”

Dean’s chest puffs up under the praise. “Well, I wasn’t gonna let those bastards talk about you in that way.”

“You’re very sweet,” Castiel smiles.

He continues to clean Dean’s wound in silence, wiping away all of the dried blood and wrapping a bandage around the top of his bicep. When he’s done, he trails a hand down Dean’s arm and back up to stroke over his neck.

“You’re all tensed,” he says to Dean in a soft voice.

Dean lets out a quiet groan when Castiel presses his fingers into the hard muscles around his neck and shoulders. He wants to help Dean feel better, he wants to show him how thankful he is for Dean protecting him. He moves around Dean to sit behind him and starts to rub the tight muscles there, careful around Dean’s injured shoulder and doing his best to ease him.

After a couple of minutes, Dean really starts to relax into Castiel’s hands. He sighs, “That feels amazing, Cas. No-one’s ever done this for me before.”

That causes Castiel’s hands to pause. “Never?! Well, I’ll have to try and make it up to you now, then.”

He carries on with his massage, trying to portray through his movements just how appreciative he is of his protector, and how much he wants to please him. Dean’s skin is hot beneath his palms, his bulky muscles twitching and contracting ever so slightly under Castiel’s touch. Castiel bites his lip, the feel of such a strong alpha body is melting his insides and urging him to give Dean whatever he may want.

But there is still a question plaguing Castiel, one that Dean hasn’t managed to answer yet. Whether that had been deliberate or not, Castiel doesn’t know, but he can’t push the thought from his head. His resolve finally crumbles, and the words slip from his lips.

“What were those men saying about me?”

He feels Dean’s shoulders tense up again, hard and heated as he remembers what had happened. Castiel holds his breath, afraid of the answer but too interested to just ignore it.

“I… I’d rather not repeat it,” Dean answers tightly after a beat of silence.

Castiel’s shoulders sag, his fears essentially confirmed. “So they _were_ being cruel?”

“Not exactly. They weren’t being _mean_ about you, they were…” Dean huffs. “Making jokes. Sexual jokes. About you.”

Castiel raises his eyebrows, unable to say anything but, “Oh.”

“They had no right, Cas. They were scumbags and they deserved to have their asses handed to ‘em.”

“Well, I suppose I’d rather they were making _those_ sorts of comments instead of just being unkind about me.”

“ _No_ , Cas.” Dean looks over his shoulder at him, brow furrowed and eyes full of emotion. “You’re… you’re so _pure_ , do you have any idea how frustrating it is to know that there are people out there who don’t respect that?”

Castiel stares back at Dean, a little taken aback by Dean’s strong reaction. Yes, it isn’t pleasant to know that somebody is making inappropriate remarks about him behind his back, but it doesn’t exactly cause him too much distress. As long as none of the words are actually put into action and he doesn’t have to hear of it, he doesn’t really care all that much.

He certainly doesn’t care about it as much as Dean seems to.

“Well, yes, but… people talk, Dean, it’s not something we can stop. If they’re not talking about me, it’ll be someone else. I’m sure they’d never really do any of the things they were saying.”

Dean turns away again, head dipping as he stares down at his lap. Castiel’s hands have stilled but he doesn’t move them away, keeping them firmly planted on Dean’s skin.

“It’s just not fair,” Dean finally says quietly. “You don’t deserve to have idiot alphas talk about you that way; you deserve to be treated with respect and kindness.”

Castiel doesn’t reply straight away. Instead, he resumes his massage in an attempt to calm Dean down again, not wanting him to feel riled during a time that is meant for relaxation. “Thank you, Dean. But please don’t beat yourself up over it; you can’t control what every single person says about me.”

“Wish I could,” Dean mumbles. “If I could, I’d protect you from every single bad word or crappy person out there.”

Butterflies sprout inside Castiel’s stomach, and he smiles to himself. Dean is so incredibly sweet and thoughtful; two qualities Castiel hadn’t even been sure an alpha could possess. He has always been apprehensive about alphas (aside from the ones he is related to, of course). They’d always seemed too large, too domineering and far too egotistical. But Dean has been gradually changing Castiel’s opinions ever since he arrived here, and Castiel is so grateful for the way his protector has opened his eyes to so many things.

“I know you would,” he murmurs to Dean.

Their conversation falls away there, though the movement of Castiel’s hands does not. The radiating heat from Dean’s body is having a curious effect on him; pulling at Castiel’s eyelids and leaving him relaxed and languid but at the same time, the butterflies in his belly are thumping with increasing intensity after every passing moment. He adores the way Dean feels under his hands; his skin is smooth and soft, quite a contrast to the bulging muscles capable of such strength and skill. It makes Castiel feel smaller, more vulnerable, and for once, this doesn’t feel like a bad thing.

Castiel’s feelings for Dean have always been very emotional, romantic, and he generally tries to keep his thoughts about Dean somewhat clean. But as they sit here in the light of the moon, both half-dressed and contented in each other’s company, Castiel’s mind begins to wander. What would happen if his emotional feelings for his protector progressed into something… physical?

Castiel has never been even vaguely intimate with another person before. His innocence is something that has stopped him from expressing the way he feels to Dean; the thought of that level of closeness with another person has always frightened him. But as Dean and he grow closer, his fears only diminish. He finds himself wondering now what it could be like; making love with someone. He of course knows that Dean has been involved with many people before, but he isn’t sure if Dean has ever been _in love_ with any of them. The idea sends a spike of jealousy curling through his chest, sharp and painful.

He’s too nervous to ask Dean about such a thing now, but it’s a thought he is likely going to carry with him all through the night, probably at the cost of his sleep. Once again, Castiel is torn. On one hand, he has his own sensible conscience reminding him that any sort of relationship with a servant is strictly forbidden. But on the other hand, he has the memory of Balthazar telling him that he deserves to do something wild for once in his life, and enjoy what he has with Dean while he can.

Castiel shakes his head. He’s supposed to be caring for his protector right now. He gradually lessens how rigorously he’s rubbing Dean’s back until he’s merely tracing over the skin, fingers grazing in delicate touches.

“You wanna lie down?” Castiel asks in a soft voice. “You need to rest.”

Dean nods, and then moves over to his side of the bed before lowering himself down slowly, mindful of his injured shoulder. Castiel remains sitting upright next to him, doing his very best to keep his eyes on Dean’s face instead of his very chiselled, very naked torso, pushing all thoughts about Rick and Esmeralda and what they would have gotten up to by now out of his head.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asks with concern still clear in his voice.

Dean gives him a weak, sleepy smile. “I’ll be fine, Cas. Can’t say this’ll be fun to sleep with but it won’t take long to heal.”

Without thinking, Castiel reaches out a hand and strokes through Dean’s hair, trailing down his neck and over his bare chest as a tiny, flirtatious smile sneaks onto his face. “At least you still have your looks.”

Dean’s heart jumps beneath Castiel’s palm, and he stares back up at Castiel with a knowing smirk.

Castiel leans over his protector and gives him a kiss on the forehead, murmuring, “Thank you for defending me.”

“Thank you for taking care of me afterwards. I guess we are a pretty good team, huh?”

“Apparently so.”

They stay there like that for a long moment, the eye contact between them both intense and meaningful. It only breaks when Dean looks away with a much sadder smile, shifts like he’s uncomfortable and says;

“Shame I’m a servant though, right?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I'm sure you can guess who has recently gotten into Game of Thrones by the summary of this chapter.)
> 
> I've had a nightmare week; someone accidentally broke my laptop and I've lost everything on there, including all of my huge, detailed plans and chapters for this story! As you can imagine, I was not amused. At least I have a pretty good memory, so I re-wrote my plans as best as I could but I'm just worried I've forgotten something important.
> 
> But on a happier note, I really liked writing this chapter because the last scene with Cas treating Dean's injury is something that I've had in my head ever since I first had the idea for this story like a year and a half ago, so it was really nice to finally write it!
> 
> [Link to my tumblr](http://wingit-spn.tumblr.com/)
> 
> EDIT: JUST AS I WAS UPLOADING THIS CHAPTER A GIANT GODDAMN SPIDER DESCENDED FROM THE CEILING AND LANDED ON MY BRAND NEW LAPTOP, THIS IS THE WORST WEEK EVER


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A letter from Sam finally arrives.

Almost a week has passed since the stable fight, which means that a reply from Dean’s family should be due any day now. Castiel has taken it upon himself to badger the postman every single day, asking the poor man to double and triple check his bags just in case the letter is tucked away in a forgotten corner somewhere. He knows he’s being an impatient pest but he can’t help it; he just can’t wait to see the look on Dean’s face when he has the first contact with his family in a very long time.

This morning is no different. Castiel and his father are sitting together in the dining room having breakfast when the sound of hooves on the frost-coated pebbles outside can be heard, prompting Castiel’s ears to prick up and his food to be abruptly abandoned.

“Is that the postman?” he asks, already out of his seat and dashing halfway across the room.

His father stops buttering his toast, looking up at Castiel in bewilderment. “What’s with this new obsession with the postman this week?”

“I’m expecting something very important!” Castiel calls back before flying out of the room and out towards the main doors.

Sure enough, the postman is just outside, unloading a sizeable bag of letters and a few parcels from his horse’s saddle bags. Of course, Castiel doesn’t need to rush out and collect the letter directly from him but it takes _ages_ for the letters to go from the postman to the sorting room to the intended recipients; far longer than Castiel’s patience can last.

“Good morning!” Castiel says as he trots down the stairs.

“Good morning, Your Highness,” the postman says, now accustomed to Castiel’s frequent visits.

“Anything today?”

“Um, let’s see…” As the postman checks through his pile, Castiel bounces on the balls of his feet, even peering over the postman’s shoulder to inspect the letters himself. “Ah, here we are! One letter for Dean Winchester.”

Castiel lights up, eyes widening as a large grin spreads across his face. He takes the letter from the postman. “Thank you so much! Have a great day!”

With that, he’s dashing off again with the letter clutched close to his chest, back up the stairs and down towards the servants’ kitchen where most of them will still be having breakfast.

When Castiel arrives in the kitchen, out of breath and still beaming, all of the servants eating around the table begin to fluster, dropping forks and scraping chairs as they stand to greet one of the royals.

Castiel waves his hand, having no time for the petty formalities today. “Oh, please don’t stand for me. I don’t mean to interrupt.”

As the servants trade uncertain glances and sit themselves back down, Castiel scans the room for Dean. He finds him right at the far end of the table, and he’s already looking up at Castiel expectantly with the barest hint of hope clear in his expression.

Castiel smiles at the sight of him and hurries over as Dean stands up to meet him.

“A letter just arrived for you,” Castiel says, holding up the very letter as though it’s something sacred.

Dean takes the letter with a hesitant hand, eyes wide as if he’s anticipating it to be some sort of prank. When he realises that it is in fact real, his face breaks into an adorable smile and he reaches out to pull Castiel into a tight hug, the sheer force of it lifting Castiel right off the ground.

Castiel holds on tight, mindful of his protector’s healing shoulder as he revels in the feeling of the warm, solid body pressed against his.

“Thank you, Cas,” Dean breathes against the shell of his ear, making him shudder in the most delicious of ways.

“You’re welcome, Dean,” Castiel murmurs in response.

At that point, Castiel remembers they currently have an audience. When Dean lowers him back down to the ground he glances at the other servants who are staring at the two of them with barely disguised amazement, and he looks away. Servants aren’t exactly something that should make Castiel feel threatened; if they suspected something between Castiel and Dean it would likely never make it to the royals but still, it’s never nice to be stared at in such a way.

“C’mon, let’s talk over here,” Dean says, sensing Castiel’s discomfort and leading him to the other side of the kitchen.

Out from under the scrutinising gazes of the servants, Castiel’s smile returns.

“So, do you want to open it now?”

Dean looks down in the letter in his hand, turning it over thoughtfully as he considers his answer. “No. Let’s open it tonight, when we’re alone.”

Castiel’s stomach flips. “You want me to open it with you?”

“Well, yeah. You’re the reason I was able to write to them and send them all those supplies. I want you to be a part of this as well; you deserve to know.”

The sentiment melts Castiel’s heart; Dean’s family is something that is obviously very important and personal to him, so the fact that he wants to share this with Castiel makes him feel incredibly honoured. “Okay. I’m glad.”

So Dean hands the letter back to Castiel, which he takes with reverent care.

“I’ll put it somewhere safe in… upstairs,” Castiel says, only just refraining from saying ‘in our bedroom’. Even with how close the two of them currently are, admitting that would probably be going slightly too far.

“Okay,” Dean nods. “So I’ll… see you after breakfast?”

Castiel nods in return. “See you then.”

He turns to walk away but hesitates, knowing that he’s going to have to walk past the servants again. He can almost sense their judgement and he can’t help wondering what they might be thinking, after witnessing his protector sweep him up into his arms in such a public display of affection. Castiel knows that objectively, he should not care at all about what people think of the way he interacts with his friend but somehow that isn’t all that helpful.

“It’s fine, Cas, they won’t say anything,” Dean says quietly, always so in tune with Castiel’s emotions.

Castiel nods in a bid to convince himself and then takes a deep breath before walking away from Dean, past the table and all those watchful gazes. It isn’t nice to know that they’re all probably judging him in this moment, and that there’s a good chance they will be talking about this after he leaves but what can he do? He’s brought all of this on himself anyway; it’s his fault for giving them something to gossip about.

X

Unsurprisingly, the day seems to drags out as long as possible. Castiel and Dean are both impatient to leave the day behind them, shut themselves away in the peace of their bedroom and read the letter together. Despite how much they want to steal away and run upstairs right now to find out what Sam says, they both don’t give in. They want the moment when they finally open it to be special and unrushed, when they will not be disturbed by anyone else.

In a bid to make time pass a little quicker, they carry on with a bit of combat fighting practice. Dean will put Castiel in some kind of hold, and then Castiel needs to use his knowledge of how to escape properly depending on the hold he is currently in. Dean says it’s all about thinking fast, and relying on instinct in those adrenaline-pumped moments so that’s exactly what Castiel is trying to get better at.

After a good session of practice, they collapse onto the floor and share a drink, both hot and breathing hard.

Castiel takes another gulp of water and says, “I find it interesting that even though there are so many different people who could attack you, they’ll all do it in a similar way.”

“I suppose. I’ve only taught you several common holds but there are a lot more; some attackers might not be so organised or collected. And it depends on what the attacker is trying to do, like, if it’s a something sexual, that’ll be kinda different.”

“Different?” If Castiel is completely honest, something that frightens him the most is the idea of somebody trying to ruin his innocence. As an omega, he imagines it’s not a fear only limited to him. “Well, maybe you should teach me what to do if somebody ever tried to do that to me.”

Dean’s expression hardens and his jaw visibly clenches. “I’ll never let anyone do something like that to you.”

“I know you wouldn’t. But what if you weren’t here for whatever reason? I’d need to know just in case, especially since I could be a likely target; I’m an omega and I have a title.”

“And you’re beautiful,” Dean mumbles. “A lot of people would be tempted by that.”

Castiel moves closer to Dean and sits next to him where he’s leaning against the back of a couch. He smiles down at his lap as he says, “I like when you call me beautiful.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Maybe I should say it all the time, then.”

Dean adjusts his sitting position, and then winces at the pain in his healing shoulder. He doesn’t say anything about it but Castiel notices it in a second.

“It’s still painful? Can I have a look at it?” he asks, already turning to Dean and reaching out to remove his shirt.

Dean just nods, eyes glued to Castiel’s slender fingers as they carefully undo the buttons. Castiel bites his lip as he exposes more of Dean’s bare flesh, nerves buzzing from his protector’s nearness and the warmth radiating from his body.

He tugs the shirt gently over Dean’s injured shoulder, just enough to pull back the bandage and take a look. The wound is smaller now but still needs a good few days to fully heal, especially given its uncomfortable location at the top of Dean’s arm. Castiel coos in sympathy, and then wraps the bandage again.

“It’ll need a few more days with the bandage, I think,” he says, stroking a hand down Dean’s arm and not missing the way it makes him shiver ever so slightly.

“Probably would’ve taken longer to heal if I didn’t have you as my nurse,” Dean grins.

Castiel blushes, fiddling with the sleeve of Dean’s shirt still hanging loosely on his forearm as an excuse to not make eye contact. “Not saying I’m glad you were injured but I kind of enjoyed taking care of you a little bit.”

“Well, the injury was worth all the care I got afterwards.”

Castiel continues to play with Dean’s shirt as they sit together in comfortable silence. He adores being physically close to Dean this way; sitting only inches from his bare skin gives Castiel all sorts of thrilling tingles in his body and turns him into a flirty, helpless mess.

“So,” Dean says through a smirk. “Am I allowed to put my clothes back on or do you wanna stare a little longer?”

Castiel goes hot all over and drops Dean’s shirt like it’s flaming. “I wasn’t _staring_!”

“Alright, alright. Keep telling yourself that, beautiful.”

X

The two of them head to bed early that evening. By the time dinner has been eaten and the castle has started to quieten down, they both decide that their eagerness to open the letter cannot be suppressed any longer. After getting changed, they sit themselves down on the edge of the bed and Castiel retrieves the letter from where he’d hidden it under his pillows earlier.

He passes it to Dean, who stares at it for a few moments before pushing it back into Castiel’s hands.

“You read it,” he says, voice clipped and nervous.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Can’t say I’d do a great job at reading right now.”

“O-okay.”

He scrambles to peel open the letter, fingers shaking an alarming amount. Castiel isn’t too sure why they’re finding this to be so nerve-wrecking; he supposes they have built this moment up in their heads for a long time and with their expectations being so high, neither of them wants to feel disappointed. There’s also the chance that Dean’s family may not be as well as hoped, or maybe there is some sort of bad news. The amount of unknowns makes this single piece of paper all around nail-biting.

With the letter open in his hands, Castiel begins to read the words aloud as Dean’s own hands clasp together, fingertips turning white with the force of his grip.

“ _‘Dear Dean,_

_It’s so good to hear from you! I never thought I’d see the day where we’d be having a written conversation, but here we are. I’m so glad you’ve been able to learn again, does that mean I can finally stop feeling guilty for being the reason you didn’t finish school?!_

_To answer the first of your many, many questions; yes, everyone is well. We think the winter will be a dark one but it won’t be a problem now thanks to the astounding amount of supplies that were sent to us – please share our appreciations with everyone who helped! Especially Castiel._

_There hasn’t been any significant events going on lately; everyone is still plodding along just the same. I have met an omega named Jess though. She’s incredible; beautiful and gifted. Bobby approves, and I think you’d get on well with her. I hope in the future you’ll be able to meet her and we can all spend some time together._

_Aelam sounds exciting, if a little cold and busy. It’s a shame that there are a lot of people there who can’t look past the fact that you’re not from the same place as them but at least you have some good friends. I’d love to see the castle; I can’t imagine living somewhere with more bedrooms than you can count! How you people find your way around those buildings, I’ll never know._

_But getting back to Castiel… he sounds like a firecracker. From what you’ve said about him I can tell you’ve got it bad which is cute – I’ve never seen you smitten with anyone before but I can imagine you blushing and stuttering like an idiot around him. It sucks that he’s a prince and all that but if you really feel that strongly for him, why fight it? I’d bet anything on him feeling the exact same way._

_From what I can gather, you two would be perfect together. Screw the laws and do something that’ll make you happy for once._

_Thank you again for yours and Castiel’s help – looks like we’ll be keeping warm this winter!_

_Love always,_

_Sam.’”_

Castiel’s voice trails off and the two of them sit in silence, both reeling from Sam's words.

‘ _If you really feel that strongly for him, why fight it?'_

“Cas…” Dean breathes.

‘ _You two would be perfect together_.’

Castiel’s mind is racing, and his heart pounding like he’s just ran a mile. He stares down at the paper in his lap, barely able to register the words he has just read out. His mouth has gone dry, his cheeks are flushed, and he can’t bring himself to look up until he feels a hot, hesitant palm rest on his arm.

“Cas,” Dean repeats, voice uncertain and tense. “I… I told Sam…”

When Castiel meets his gaze, something within him clicks. Dean’s eyes are wide and sparkling, green like a precious jewel and all too easy to get lost in. His lips are plump and inviting, slightly parted as a shaky exhale escapes from between them and when Castiel leans in, he feels a tiny puff of his protector’s breath caressing his skin. His eyelashes flutter at the sensation.

Dean inches closer and Castiel reaches out with quivering hands to cup his face and draw him in, only three words left for him to say:

“ _Screw the laws_.”

Fireworks explode behind Castiel’s eyelids as Dean covers his mouth with his own. Barely aware of the pleased little noise he makes in the back of his throat, Castiel slides his arms around Dean’s neck to pull him closer still, gripping the short hairs on the nape of Dean’s neck in a fruitless attempt to keep himself grounded. The butterflies are soaring, the fireworks don’t stop bursting, his body is shaking, and Castiel vaguely acknowledges the possibility that he’ll never be able form a coherent thought again from the way his brain has short-circuited.

The kiss breaks only for Dean to pant against Castiel’s willing mouth, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Castiel nearly sobs, crashing their lips together again and kissing his protector senseless. Having never done this before, Castiel is clueless as to what he should do but he follows his instincts and mimics the movement of Dean’s lips, doing his very best to keep up. Dean is patient, taking control and pressing his soft lips against Castiel’s with such gentle fervour it makes him whine.

Dean eases him backwards, lying them down on the bed they have been sharing for months. The letter slides off Castiel’s lap and onto the floor, quickly forgotten as they give in to every desire they’ve been suppressing for so long.

Elation courses through Castiel’s veins, his mind flooded with thoughts of Dean’s kisses and nothing more. All of those rational rules and reasons he’s been forcing himself to abide by are wiped clear from memory as he finally, _finally_ allows himself to have this. His love for Dean is reciprocated and his soul is singing because of it.

“How long?” he gasps, inexperienced hands roaming over his protector’s broad back.

“Months. I think since the very beginning.”

“Me too. Even in those trials, I only ever had eyes for you.”

Dean’s mouth starts to wander, trailing down Castiel’s neck and reddening the skin through a series of bruising kisses, the wet sound of his lips sending Castiel into a frenzy. His fingers scramble between their pressing bodies and tug at Dean’s shirt, a silent request to remove it.

Dean complies, buttons flying out and off the bed as he rips the fabric. Castiel whimpers at the sight and rises up to capture Dean’s lips again. They fall back and lie there completely wrapped up in each other, exploring rosy skin and revelling in the other one’s touch after so long of being starved.

“But Cas,” Dean pants against his mouth. “What… what about…”

“ _Shh_.” He soothes Dean’s worry with another ardent kiss. “Don’t think about it now. Everything else can wait.”

Dean doesn’t need to be told twice. He starts to work at the buttons of Castiel’s shirt - with a touch more caution than with his own – and pulls away another barrier between them, bringing them closer as their naked torsos meet. Castiel feels exposed and vulnerable in the most exhilarating of ways, tangled up in a forbidden embrace and loving every second of it.

When Dean’s hands slide down to Castiel’s pants, his stomach pools with heat. He lets out a broken moan as goosebumps erupt all over his sweat-slick skin. At the first brush of hand against his hips he gasps, breathing in lungsful of Dean’s cinnamon scent.

“Just tell me if you want me to stop,” Dean murmurs, his voice low and velvety.

Castiel shakes his head. “Please don’t stop.”

From there, they only break their kisses to rid themselves of another layer of clothing, again and again until there’s nothing left to separate them. Castiel can’t stop trembling, every one of his nerve-endings stimulated and stirring under the press of Dean’s able fingertips.

“I love you,” he cries. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Dean gasps in response. “So much.”

Hot bodies entwine, passion manifesting as searing heat between them as they cling to each other. When the tension finally becomes too much to bear, Castiel’s legs fall open and they connect in such an intimate way it brings tears to both of their eyes.

Their love and longing for each other carries them through a sleepless night of passion, the winter cold finally not bothering either of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this fic finally makes some sense now, huh? I'm crap at naming things lol 
> 
> THEY FINALLY DID IT! Leave a comment telling me your thoughts, or what you think is gonna happen now!
> 
> [Link to my tumblr](http://wingit-spn.tumblr.com/)
> 
> P.S. this chapter is up kinda late because it turns out love scenes are like, impossible to write


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel and Dean explore their newfound relationship.

The first thing Castiel becomes aware of when he drifts into consciousness the next morning is the incredible warmth of the cocoon he’s nestled in. Having grown accustomed to the brisk winter chill over the last few months, the heat is a stark contrast and Castiel half wonders if the fireplace is still blazing from the night before. His naked body revels in the warmth, legs stretching out like a content cat.

The next thing he notices is the steady thump of a heartbeat right beneath his ear. The sound is soothing, reassuring, and for a long moment it almost sends Castiel right off to sleep again but he fights the urge. He gradually opens sleep-stuck eyes and blinks around as the faint blurriness in his eyesight fades, his tired and groggy mind trying to make sense of his surroundings.

The source of the warmth is pressed all up against his body, still keeping a tight hold around Castiel’s waist despite being sound asleep. Castiel smiles to himself; Dean is protective of him even in his slumber and the feeling of his solid arm encircling Castiel’s smaller body melts his heart. He traces his fingertips over the strong chest his head rests on, fascinated by the way it makes tiny goosebumps flare up all across the skin.

There’s an ache that has settled deep within Castiel’s muscles, the kind that stems from rigorous activities and a lot of movement. It might perhaps be the most delightful ache he’s ever felt, a physical reminder of the night that took his innocence and introduced him to pleasures and sensations he had ever even thought possible before. He’d eventually stopped counting how many times they’d made love, too overwhelmed to do anything but gasp and tremble as he shattered beneath Dean’s taut body.

He lifts up his head and blinks down at his still snoozing lover. Dean is beautiful when he sleeps, perhaps even more so than usual. There’s a certain innocence about him that isn’t always there when he’s awake; delicate lines which usually create little creases around his eyes are smoothed out, free from tension, and his mouth tilts up at the corners in a barely there smile. Castiel reaches out a hand – slow in his movements to make sure he doesn’t disturb Dean too abruptly – and runs his fingers through Dean’s hair, caressing his scalp and rousing him in the gentlest way.

Dean stirs with a quiet sigh on his lips, leaning into Castiel’s touch as his eyes begin to flutter open.

Castiel beams down at him. His voice is still gravelly and thick from sleep when he says, “Good morning, my love.”

Dean’s face breaks into a sleepy smile, body stretching out before his arms enclose Castiel once again. “Am I in heaven?”

Castiel giggles before lowering himself down again, trailing his lips across Dean’s forehead and down his nose, pressing barely there kisses along the way.

Dean hums as his eyes fall shut again. “Well, that was a pretty restless night.”

“Mm, it really was. I think I could sleep for a year.”

“We don’t have to wake up yet if you don’t want.”

“Hm. I’m tired but why would I waste any more time sleeping when I could be kissing you?”

Castiel captures Dean’s lips in a sweet kiss, a small, breathy moan escaping his mouth and getting lost in the embrace. Dean’s hands glide down Castiel’s back until they reach his unclothed behind, squeezing the flesh there and thrilling him to his core.

He pulls away just enough to break the kiss and smiles widely. “Am I getting better at kissing?”

It makes Dean snort in amusement. “Yeah, but you were never _bad_ to begin with; you’ve got what they call natural talent.”

“Or maybe I’ve been lying to you this whole time, and I wasn’t quite the naïve virgin you thought I was.”

Dean squeezes Castiel again. “Don’t do that to me, you tease.”

Castiel’s eyes fall down to Dean’s naked chest, stroking the skin. “I can’t believe this is all real. I thought I might wake up and it would’ve just been a dream.”

“Kinda still feels like a dream. I’d imagined being in bed with you like this countless times but I never thought it’d actually happen.”

“Remind me to send a thank you letter to Sam; he’s the one who pushed us together. I don’t think I would’ve had the confidence if I wasn’t completely sure you felt the same way.”

“Seriously? You really didn’t know I was in love with you?”

“Well, I always _hoped_ , but I just never let myself believe it. Obviously a few people had mentioned it, like Uriel and Balthazar.”

Dean’s face falls, brow creasing. “You talked about it with Balthazar?”

Castiel can’t help sniggering at the unimpressed look on Dean’s face. Despite Castiel reassuring him that Balthazar is just a friend, Dean still doesn’t like the way he acts and often describes him as ‘slimy’. “Of course I did; I had to tell _somebody_ about all of the confusing feelings I had for you.”

“Did you tell Gabriel?”

Castiel sighs. “No. I wanted to but I didn’t know how to.”

Dean hums again, leaning his head up to kiss Castiel’s jawline. “Well, that’s not something we need to worry about just yet.”

Castiel is more than happy to lose himself in the kisses, offering his neck to Dean and then shifting to lie on top of him. As Dean’s hands start to roam, Castiel presses a delicate kiss to the bandage still covering Dean’s injured shoulder, tingling as he recalls just how the injury came about. His protector always defends him so fiercely and Castiel trusts him with his life because of this.

“How does your shoulder feel today?” he asks. “I think I might have grabbed it a few times last night when I was, you know, all worked up.”

“It’s not too bad. It stings a little but last night was totally worth it.”

Castiel drops a few more kisses to the bandage before directing his attention elsewhere, trailing his lips over heated skin and sighing as now familiar arousal begins to flare in the pit of his stomach. He braces his hands on either side of Dean’s head as he slowly, teasingly presses his hips downwards.

Dean groans against the shell of Castiel’s ear, sending a shudder down his spine and igniting every nerve ending in his body. He grips Castiel’s hips but doesn’t make another attempt to move, instead saying, “Cas, I didn’t rush you last night, did I? Because, you know, most people don’t have their first kiss and lose their virginity all in the same night.”

Castiel smiles and reassures Dean with another lingering kiss. “You didn’t rush me at all, Dean, I _wanted_ it. I’d been more than ready for a long time.”

Dean nods, and Castiel quickly kisses away the last signs of worry on his gorgeous face. They exchange fervent kisses until they’re both breathless, bodies awakening and arching into each other’s touch.

“So, Cas,” Dean pants against his mouth, the first hints of a smirk clear in his voice. “You gonna show me any tricks you’ve learnt from those dirty books you read?”

Castiel’s mouth falls open and he sits up to stare at Dean in horror. Heat rushes back up his body and into his cheeks as he stutters, “W-what?!”

Dean can’t hold in his laughter anymore. “Don’t think I don’t know about your secret love of those trashy romance novels. You read them all the time around me!”

“I…” Castiel is flabbergasted; it doesn’t make any difference now that Dean knows about his hidden indulges, but apparently Castiel isn’t as subtle as he’d thought he’d been. “I didn’t know you knew what I was reading!”

“C’mon, I may not have a very wide attention span but I’m not blind. I never said anything ‘cause I was hoping you’d be inspired by them one day and beg me to ‘devour your virginal, creamy body’, or whatever it is those books say.”

Castiel hides his face in his hands, giggling helplessly. “Okay, okay, I like those stupid books. Apparently I can’t suppress _all_ of my omega needs.”

Dean takes hold of Castiel’s wrists and gently pulls them away from his face, still grinning. “I think it’s sexy; that you were reading that stuff literally right next to me.”

“It made me feel all flirty around you. More so than usual, anyway.”

“Yeah, I noticed that’d be when you most wanted attention.”

“So…” Castiel’s fingers return to Dean’s chest, dancing across the skin in a playful touch. “Do you want me to try out one of those tricks?”

“More than anything.”

So Castiel takes hold of Dean’s hands and brings them up to his waist, encouraging them to roam there. He spends a good few minutes teasing the both of them with purposeful and shameless thrusts of his hips, having no interest in rushing this and enjoying the intense sparks it sends shooting up his spine. They stay in this position since Castiel decides that Dean deserves a bit of a break after doing a lot of the work last night. He finally sinks down fully, their bodies melting into each other as they gasp and moan.

Unguarded and unashamed, they rock together until they’re close to the edge. Castiel hopes he never, ever gets used to this feeling, hopes he never takes it for granted or forgets the way Dean overwhelms him, engulfs him and makes him sob with ecstasy.

Castiel gives in when the burn becomes too much, surrendering to the sensations and being helpless to do anything but hold on tight to Dean and cry out.

When they’re both completely sated, Castiel rolls off of Dean and collapses at his side, their chests heaving as they try to catch their breaths.

“That was…” Castiel pants.

Dean finishes the sentence for him. “Mind-blowing.”

They both lie in a state of total bliss as their minds slowly return to them, slick with sweat and flushed in the cheeks. When Castiel finally recovers just about enough of his mental capacity to string together a coherent sentence, he rolls onto his side to face Dean.

“So,” he says with an uneasy smile. “I hate to be the one to say it but, we need to get back to reality now.”

Dean groans. “Can’t we just stay here forever?”

“I wish we could, more than anything in the world, but we can’t. I need to work out how to tell my family; there’s no way I’d ever let them marry me off to somebody else now. They need to know about us before they start searching.”

“How do you think they’ll all react?”

Castiel sighs. “I really don’t know. I think Gabriel will be mostly fine with it all; I’ll need at least one ally for when I tell my father.”

“If I’m being completely honest, I’m kinda worried I’ll lose my manhood when your Dad finds out.”

Castiel huffs out a laugh. “I think I’ll tell my father a slightly untrue version; I’ll tell him that we’re in love but not that you’ve taken my virginity. He’s very much a believer in the ‘no sex before marriage’ thing. He’ll be much more accepting if I tell him a small lie.”

“So if you think they’re going to kind of alright with it, what are you so worried about?”

“I’m worried about everyone _else_. If the council finds out they’re going to do everything in their power to convince my father that what we have is wrong, they’ll try to wind him up and make him do something bad. The same goes for the rest of our family members and my father’s friends; they’ll probably be judgemental and disapproving. I don’t want everyone to look down on me just because I’ve fallen in love.”

“So it really won’t matter to the royals that we love each other? They’d rather you were unhappy with some lord than happy with a servant?”

Castiel nods. “Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it?”

Dean exhales heavily. “Well, whatever happens, Cas, I’ll always fight for us. I’m definitely not letting you go any time soon.”

A bubble of warmth rises in Castiel’s chest and he leans closer to press his still-swollen lips to Dean’s, ignoring his tired jaw as they kiss deeply.

When they separate, Castiel can’t help sighing again. “We’re going to have to be tactical about who we tell and how. In the meantime, we need to pretend that nothing has changed between us; we can’t give people anymore reasons to believe there’s something going on.”

Dean nods. “I’ve been hiding my feelings for you for months; I can carry on for a while longer.”

“So everything stays the same. We don’t kiss or touch during the day, we keep our distance, I spend my heats alone –”

“You sure you don’t want company during your heats?” Dean interrupts, waggling his eyebrows.

Castiel scoffs. “Yes, I’m very sure; you know I can get pregnant during my heat. As much as I love you, I’m not ready for a baby just yet.”

“Yet another thing I don’t understand about you royals; why don’t any of you use contraception?”

“My father doesn’t trust it; he says it’s unnatural.”

Dean sighs and shakes his head. “I think you all just enjoy making life difficult for yourselves.”

“Hm. That’s also probably true.”

After several last kisses and a parting slap to Dean’s wandering hand, the two of them untangle themselves from the bed and begin to get dressed. They’re already very late, but with a dopey and sated smile still on his face from the last series of kisses, Castiel finds that he doesn’t really care.

X

Castiel positively skips down to the dining room for breakfast, still buzzing from every sensation he’d experienced since yesterday evening. His heart races at the sight of every person he passes on his way down, finding himself wondering if anybody can sense anything different about him now. He _feels_ different. He feels like he’s glowing.

The dining room is already occupied when he arrives, by his father and Michael who had returned home the day before. Gabriel is not due to come back for the winter until tomorrow.

With his head still in the clouds, Castiel trots over to his family and greets them both with a smacking kiss to the cheek.

“Good morning!” he beams as he settles down in his seat, amused by the matching looks of bafflement on his father and brother’s faces.

“Someone’s chipper today,” Michael says, taking a large bite of pancake.

“What’s put you in such a good mood, sweet pea?” the King asks with a charmed smile.

Castiel’s smile only widens. “Oh, I’m just pleased that everyone’s coming home and staying here for winter, and I’m excited to see Gabriel tomorrow.”

Michael smirks at him. “You’re so cute.”

“I just hope the weather won’t be too unforgiving for him,” their father says. “It’d be a shame for him to miss your birthday party tomorrow, Michael.”

“I’m sure he’ll be fine as long as he sets off early. Gabriel’s never been one to miss a party of mine.”

Castiel smiles as he tucks into his breakfast, ravenous after a working up a rather large appetite during the night. Michael’s birthday party will likely be a wild affair; dozens of people are invited and the wine flows freely. Balthazar is going to be there as well so Castiel will probably tell him all about the recent development in his and Dean’s relationship then, raunchy details and all (which Balthazar will no doubt be interrogating him about).

He is still debating how to tell Gabriel about Dean though. He doesn’t think he’ll be able to keep such a secret from him but Castiel cannot deny the way his stomach twists into a knot at the thought of what Gabriel’s reaction might be. He doesn’t think it’ll be a _bad_ reaction exactly, but Castiel cares so much about what his brother will say that he can’t help worrying. What if, for whatever reason, Gabriel isn’t supportive? What if he gets mad, or tells somebody else?

It’ll need some serious thought later on, away from the rest of the family members who Castiel hasn’t even considered telling yet. For now, Castiel turns his attention to his breakfast and half listens to Michael chatter on about his upcoming party, whilst the other half of his brain is still very much in bed with his protector and already planning tonight’s amorous activities together.

X

As promised, not much changes between Castiel and Dean during the day. They both put a lot of restraint into keeping their distance, refraining from quick kisses and secret touches because they both understand how important it is to _not_ get caught this way. All it’d take would be one slip-up, the wrong person walking in and then everything would go to pot. A sneaky, short embrace like that just isn’t worth potentially losing each other after how long it has taken them to get this far.

Castiel’s mind has drifted from his book again to this evening, and how much he is looking forward to spending another night exploring his protector’s body.

Until he remembers what day it is.

Dean looks up when Castiel groans. “What’s the matter?”

“It’s a Sunday; I’m supposed to be reading with my father all evening. As much as I love spending time with him, I’d much rather be with you tonight.”

Dean’s face falls. “Oh, I forgot about that. Can’t you get out of it for one week?”

“Mm. I suppose I could tell him I’m not feeling well. He’d want to make sure I’m alright though; he’d probably tuck me into bed himself. You’d have to pretend to sleep in your old room until he left.”

“Well, we could do that. Just come and knock on my door when the coast is clear.”

“Yeah.” Castiel lets out a heavy sigh. “I hate lying to him. But I have no idea how I’m going to tell him about you and I either.”

“There’s no rush, Cas, don’t feel pressured to find a way to tell him straight away. You’ll know when the right time is.”

Castiel gives him a weak smile. “So you won’t feel like I’m keeping you as my dirty little secret?”

“That’s exactly what you’re doing, and I kinda love that.” Dean glances at the door again to check that they’re truly alone and then smirks. “I like to think I’ve corrupted you a little bit; you’re already cancelling plans with your Dad to spend the night having sex with your servant instead.”

Castiel rolls his eyes. “You always have to make everything so crude, don’t you?”

“You love it.”

Castiel’s cheeks tinge pink. “Maybe a little bit.”

So later on, Castiel lies through his teeth to his father as he feigns a bad headache. As predicted, his father insists on walking Castiel up to his bedroom and helping him get ready for bed before tucking him into a nest of blankets. Dean puts on a front too, carrying out his security checks of the windows and the balcony before standing in the middle of the room as he waits to be dismissed.

“You can go to bed now, Dean,” Castiel says in what he hopes is a weak, unwell voice.

“Thank you, Castiel, feel better soon. Goodnight, Your Majesty.”

The King barely bats an eyelid when Dean leaves, clearly not suspecting a thing. The victorious feeling Castiel has is immediately squashed by a heavy layer of guilt, hating himself for lying this way.

“Are you sure I can’t get you any medicine?” his father asks, still none-the-wiser about Castiel’s internal turmoil.

“No, I think I just need a good night’s sleep,” Castiel says, barely able to look his father in the eye.

“Okay, as long as you’re sure. Do you think you’ll be alright for Michael’s birthday tomorrow?”

“Yes, I don’t think it’s anything too serious.”

As his father arranges the blankets around him, Castiel bites his lip and tries not to give anything away. He hasn’t even started to plan how he’s going to break the news of Dean and him to his father; he cannot even fathom what his father would say or do. He can only hope that when he does tell him, it doesn’t ruin the close bond they share. Castiel wants to be with Dean more than anything in the world but even in his love-struck state, he cannot deny that losing his father would leave him heartbroken.

“I love you,” Castiel can’t help blurting out.

His father smiles down at him, pleasantly surprised by the sudden affection. “I love you, too, sweetheart.”

The King gives Castiel a final kiss on the forehead before wishing him a goodnight, and then leaves him to sleep. Castiel stays in bed for a good half an hour just to make sure nobody is going to come back and check on him, and then slips out from under the mass of blankets that’d been piled on top of him. He does his best to swallow the guilt he’s feeling as he crosses the room and presses his ear to the door to check there are no footsteps; he’s already made his decision tonight, and he’s not going to let it be ruined by his own negative thoughts.

When he is sure the coast is clear, he hurries over to Dean’s bedroom door and gives a few rapid, light knocks. Dean answers within three seconds and Castiel is willing to bet that he’d been waiting right on the other side of the door for when Castiel finally arrived.

Castiel smiles up at him, murmuring, “We’re finally alone.”

Dean’s face breaks into a matching grin. “Finally.”

With a quick glance down either end of the hallway, Dean sweeps Castiel up into his arms and carries him back across the threshold and over to the inviting bed. _Their_ bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Thursday!
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter, let me know your theories about where you think this story is heading!
> 
> [Link to my tumblr](http://wingit-spn.tumblr.com/)


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the night of Michael's birthday party.

Castiel has never been one for large social gatherings with lots of overexcited people, but he has to admit he doesn’t mind occasions like these. Michael’s birthday party is already in full swing, and the mood amongst the guests is jolly and relaxed. It’s rather pleasant for Castiel to be able to spend the evening not worrying about how he is going to break the news of his and Dean’s relationship to his family, and instead just enjoy the festivities like everyone else.

Most people had started drinking wine as soon as the sun had set, so it’s no surprise that already there are some who are a little _merry_ , so to speak.

Including Balthazar, it seems.

_“Cassie!”_

Castiel startles when a pair of arms wind around his waist from behind and lift him up in the air, squeezing him like a snake.

“Hi, Balthy,” he chuckles, squirming in his friend’s tight grasp. “Put me down, I can’t breathe!”

Balthazar drops him and Castiel turns around to face him.

“How are you, love?” Balthazar asks. “It’s been far too long since I’ve seen you!”

“I know, it feels like it’s been ages. I’m well, how are you?”

“Oh, I’m alright, just the same as always.”

“I hardly believe your life could be samey, Balth.”

Balthazar laughs. “So, anything exciting been going on? I’ve personally been having a boring old time lately; you must have some gossip to cheer me up with.”

Castiel’s face breaks into a wide smile. After much deliberation last night, Dean and he had decided that the first person who should be told about their relationship is Balthazar. He is a safe choice because he already knows of Castiel’s feelings for his protector and the news will not come as too much of a shock to him, and he is not directly connected to Castiel’s family. Castiel and Dean agreed that they needed a third party perspective to help them determine how to approach everyone else. “I might have one interesting thing to tell you.”

“Ooh, well, don’t hold back!”

Castiel glances around them at the many people who aren’t necessarily listening to their conversation but are still much too close for Castiel to be comfortable with. As well as that, the music from the live band forces everyone to speak in an almost shout; generally just the wrong location for announcing such delicate news to his friend.

Instead, Castiel says, “Can we go out into the hallway first?”

So Balthazar, Dean and he leave the drawing room and stand just outside the doors where it is calmer and they are much less likely to be overheard.

“What, Cassie? The suspense is killing me!” Balthazar says, bouncing a few times on the balls of his feet.

“Okay, I guess I’ll just come out and say it. You know how all those weeks ago, I told you how I felt about a certain someone, that I was in love with them? Well, it turns out they did feel the same way. One thing led to another and now…”

Castiel smiles up at Dean and takes his hand, turning back to Balthazar with his lip caught between his teeth as he waits for his reaction.

Balthazar stares from Castiel, to Dean, to their joined hands and back up at Castiel with eyes as wide as saucers. Castiel and Dean stay still, helpless to do anything but watch the cogs turn in Balthazar’s head as he processes the news. Just when Castiel is about to worry that maybe Balthazar will not be quite as accepting as he thought he’d be, his friend suddenly beams.

“Oh my heavens, you finally fucked!” Balthazar exclaims.

Castiel scoffs at the less than romantic wording. “You have such a foul mouth, Balthazar. But, yes, Dean and I are together now.”

“Oh, I’m so pleased for you!”

Balthazar pulls Castiel into a hug first, and then throws his arms around a very surprised and uncomfortable Dean who stares wide-eyed at Castiel over Balthazar’s shoulder. Castiel can’t help snickering at the embrace; whilst Balthazar and Dean will perhaps never be the closest of friends it’s nice to see them both at least try to get along.

When Balthazar finally let’s go, he turns back to Castiel and starts unleashing his many questions. “So, give me all of the details! How did it happen? Who kissed who? Good grief, Cassie, look at the size of him, surely it must have been painful?”

“I’m standing right here,” Dean protests weakly.

“Dean, please,” Balthazar says with an unexpectedly stern expression. “Cassie is my dearest, best friend; I need to make sure that his first time was enjoyable.”

“Thank you, Balthy,” Castiel smiles. “But don’t worry, it wasn’t painful at all. Quite the opposite, really.”

“So you liked it?”

“Yes,” Castiel says, cheeks heating up as he gives Dean a coy smile. “Very much.”

“Good,” Balthazar says, visibly relaxing. “I always worried that you’d end up with some idiot alpha who wouldn’t care how _you_ felt in bed, thank goodness that hasn’t happened.”

Dean suddenly speaks up, looking at Balthazar with a sincere expression and saying earnestly, “For the record, I’d never hurt Cas. I love him and I’m gonna do everything I can to make him happy and keep him safe.”

Castiel’s heart melts and he gazes up at his protector with a soft smile.

Balthazar smiles too, and reaches out to squeeze Dean’s arm. “Thank you, Dean. As much as I think you’re a bit of a tool, you obviously care for Cassie very deeply.”

Castiel rolls his eyes at the teasing insult and moves back to the problem at hand. “Balthy, you’re the first person we’ve told. My family needs to know about Dean and I but we have no idea how we’re supposed to break such big news to them. What do you think we should do?”

Balthazar hums thoughtfully. “It’s certainly a tricky subject. If I know your father at all, he’s not going to be happy that his little baby has been defiled by an alpha he isn’t even engaged to.”

“I’m thinking I’ll just leave that part out when I tell my father. I’ll tell him I’m in love with Dean but it’ll be best if I conveniently leave out the fact that we’ve already been intimate.”

“Yes, good point. You’ll probably need some back-up too and I’m not sure how much help _I_ will be. You should tell Gabriel first, he’ll be able to support you then when it comes to telling your father and Michael.”

“You really think Gabriel will be okay with this?”

“Of course. He only wants what’s best for you, Cassie, and he’s never been too fond of obeying laws before, has he?”

Castiel nods. “You’re right. Okay, I’ll tell Gabriel next. Should I do it tonight?”

“You don’t have to but give it a try. The sooner the better, I’d say. Now, shall we head back inside and have a drink to celebrate the recent loss of your virginity?”

Castiel snorts in amusement. “Okay.”

Balthazar heads off towards the doors and Castiel leans up to kiss Dean quick and soft, taking advantage of this opportunity before they have to return to the party and act like they are nothing more than prince and servant.

Telling Balthazar has lifted a weight from Castiel’s shoulders. He feels much better now, almost confident, and he wonders if he’ll be able to pluck up the courage to tell Gabriel tonight as well. It is reassuring to know that they have at least one ally, and even though Balthazar might not have the power to help Castiel and Dean convince his family, they still have his full support.

Once they have returned back to the drawing room, Castiel and Dean don’t immediately make a beeline for Gabriel. Castiel needs a bit more time to gather himself and plan some of what he’s going to say. He feels so much more tense about telling Gabriel than he did with Balthazar; as much as he adores his friend, Gabriel’s opinion is the one that really matters to him. Castiel would be heartbroken if his brother rejected him, and it’s these paranoid thoughts that are holding him back.

The next hour passes by rather uneventfully. There are a number of incidents where Dean has to scare away one or two lurking alphas who won’t stop leering at Castiel, but it’s nothing too serious. Castiel knows that no alpha in their right mind would attempt anything inappropriate in such a setting; the King and many other Novaks are walking around and any alpha caught by them would face serious punishment.

As always, Dean is much more affected by these alphas than Castiel is. Every time one tries to come near Castiel, his protector steps in front of him and glares daggers until the alpha backs off. Even after the alpha has gone Dean is still tense and annoyed, standing with his hands clenched into fists and his jaw tightened to the point where it must be painful. Castiel wishes he could calm him in the best way he knows how, through gentle touches and sweet kisses but he certainly can’t do that here.

They are currently stood by the huge buffet table which is loaded with more snacks and treats than one could even imagine. Castiel has taken a liking to the pork pies, and stays right by the tray to eat slice after slice of them. All of the amorous activities Dean and he have been engaging in the last few days seem to have built up quite an appetite for him.

“I can’t stop eating,” Castiel says to Dean through another mouthful of pie. “My body just isn’t used to so much physical activity.”

“I’m taking that as a compliment,” Dean smirks, accepting the slice of pie that Castiel sneaks his way.

“I haven’t seen Gabriel around lately. I’m getting more nervous about telling him with every passing moment.”

“You know it’s not the end of the world if you don’t tell him tonight.”

“I know,” Castiel looks down, wiping the last few crumbs off his hands. “I just don’t want to keep putting it off. I feel guilty for keeping such a big secret from him.”

“It sucks, I know.”

Castiel sighs, and then stops himself when he notices his hand reaching out for more food again. “Oh my goodness, take me away from these snacks before I eat the entire tray.”

Just as the two of them are about to walk away, they are stopped by a low and amused voice saying, “It’s nice to see an omega with a good appetite.”

They turn to face the source of the voice and are met with a tall and smirking man, clearly an alpha if his size and demeanour are anything to go by.

As expected, Dean is immediately on guard and he comes to stand close to Castiel, back straightened and brow creased.

Castiel smirks up at the alpha and deadpans, “I’ve been doing a lot of exercise these past few days.”

“Oh, really?” the alpha says, his leering grin never falling for a moment as he takes one dangerous step closer. “Well, I enjoy exercising too. Sounds like something we could do together, doesn’t it?”

Castiel doesn’t even have time to respond before Dean is in front of him, placing two firm hands on the alpha’s shoulders and pushing him backwards. The alpha, unprepared for such an action, stumbles and looks up at Dean with wide eyes. His surprise lasts for all of a few seconds before his expression turns irate, and he tries to size up to Dean.

“Get out of my way, filthy, fuckin’ _servant_ ,” the alpha spits.

“I am Prince Castiel’s protector, and if I think I need to remove someone from his presence, I _will_. Turn around and walk away before I make you wish you’d never set eyes on him.”

Dean and the alpha stare each other down for a long moment. Castiel’s eyes dart from one man to the other, waiting for some kind of reaction or angry outburst. Dean is always intimidating when he's like this; he's something of an unstoppable force when it comes to protecting Castiel and sooner or later, the other alphas will always realise this.

In the end, the alpha huffs before stalking away. Castiel blinks up at Dean who is still staring at the alpha’s receding back and breathing through his nose like he’s run a mile.

“You’re a little scary tonight,” Castiel can’t help commenting.

Dean lets out a sigh heavy enough to cause his shoulders to sag. “This is my idea of hell. We’re surrounded by these predatory alphas who won’t stop staring at you and I know exactly what they’re all thinking. You’re _mine_ now and I hate that none of them know it.”

Castiel smirks. “Oh, I’m _yours_ now, am I?”

Dean looks at him with wide eyes, then down to the floor like he suddenly feels guilty. “Sorry. I know you don’t like it when alphas get possessive.”

“You’re right; I don’t like it. But I like when _you_ get possessive.”

Dean glances up at him. “You do?”

“Yeah. We’re committed to each other now; I like knowing that I’m yours.”

His words seem to appease Dean quite a bit, leaving him with a small smile that lasts until the two of them are interrupted once more, this time by the King who Castiel notices heading towards them from across the room. Castiel clears his throat to warn Dean of the King's presence and takes a subtle step away from him, plastering a wide smile on his face to greet his parent.

“Baby!” his father exclaims, voice loud and exuberant from one too many cups of wine. He sweeps Castiel up into a hug and presses an overzealous kiss to the top of his head.

“Hi, Daddy,” Castiel says through a laugh, always amused by his father’s behaviour when he’s a little intoxicated.

“How are you enjoying the party, my little honeybee?”

“It’s fun, and the food is really good. But there are a lot of creepy alphas here that are getting on my nerves a little bit.”

His father frowns deeply. “Which ones? Point them out and I’ll have them dealt with.”

Castiel shakes his head and smiles. “S’okay, Dean makes sure they know their place.”

His father accepts that but still sighs, brow furrowed. “I don’t think there’s anything in the world that angers me more than the thought of some obnoxious, self-entitled alpha taking advantage of you.”

Castiel’s stomach flips, hoping his protector wouldn’t fall into this category too. “It’s not too bad, really. Yes, a lot of them stare but it’s very rare for any of them to try anything.”

“It doesn’t make any difference to me if they’re just staring or not. I’m serious, Castiel, I’ll have all the bastards killed. I’d do it myself.”

Castiel’s heart clenches. If his father would threaten to kill an alpha who had only been staring at him, what might he do with the alpha who has taken his virginity? Castiel tells himself it’s just the wine that's making his father say these words, and scolds him, “No, you certainly would not. That’s a terrible thing to say.”

“Doesn’t make it any less true, sweetheart. Anyway, I came over to talk about something else, and I think you’ll be pleased.”

“Oh?”

“How would you feel about coming back to join the council meetings now?”

Castiel lights up, reaching out to clutch his father’s arm. “Really? Can I?”

“Yes, I think you’re ready now. I’ve been watching you the past few months and you’ve really mellowed when you’re around the council; you seem much more aware of the things you say. You should join us for the next meeting.”

“That would be great, Daddy, thank you so much!”

He stands on his tiptoes to hug his father, all thoughts of misbehaving alphas wiped clear from his mind. He can finally get back to work now; can finally start making real progress in helping his fellow omegas all across the city.

“It’ll be nice to have you back,” his father smiles. “I’m looking forward to it.”

When the King leaves them to refill his wine cup, Castiel turns to Dean and beams.

“I’m so pleased for you, Cas!” Dean smiles, hands reaching out as though he’s going to touch him but falling back to his sides when he remembers where they are.

“Thank you,” Castiel says, still beaming.

“I really wish I could hug you and kiss you right now,” Dean says in a much quieter voice, eyes wistful and longing.

“Me too. So much so that I’m wondering if it’s an acceptable time to leave the party and go up to bed yet.”

Dean glances around at the dancing and laughing people who are still enjoying themselves and not paying the two of them any attention. “I’m sure we could. You’re not drinking so they’d understand if you didn’t wanna stay up as late.”

Castiel nods decisively. “Okay, let’s go. I’ll just say goodnight to my family and then we’re free to be together again.”

Dean smiles, all soft and sweet as his eyes positively twinkle. “Can’t wait, beautiful.”

So Castiel makes a quick round of the room to wish a hasty goodnight to his father and brothers, and then hurries off with his protector thinking only of their beckoning bed that waits for them upstairs. Castiel will just have to talk to Gabriel tomorrow.

X

As it turns out, Castiel does not tell Gabriel the next day either. Every time he’d seen his brother, Castiel had completely chickened out and ended up just avoided the subject altogether. The euphoria he’d gained after telling Balthazar has mostly dissipated after a night’s sleep, and he’s now left with those anxious thoughts and paranoid reasons as to why he shouldn’t tell him.

Castiel wonders if Dean is annoyed with him for being unable to tell his own family that he’s in love.

Later that night when they have settled themselves into bed, Castiel tries to explain how he is feeling to his protector, clutching Dean's hand and saying, “You know the reason I haven’t told Gabriel isn’t because I’m ashamed of you, right? Because I’m not; I’m not ashamed of you or what we have one little bit.”

“I know, Cas,” Dean says. He doesn’t _seem_ annoyed, but it still doesn’t completely put Castiel’s mind at ease. “I understand why you haven’t told him.”

“I just feel so much _pressure_ ; I’m terrified that he’ll say something bad.”

“To be honest, I don’t think he’ll be unsupportive, Cas. I know it’s scary telling him but don’t let your fears get in the way of what’s real.”

Castiel nods, taking a deep breath to try and steady his thoughts. He knows he’s being a bit silly about this; it’s only his light-hearted, mischievous brother they’re talking about, after all.

Dean smiles then and reaches out to rub a hand over Castiel’s inner thigh. “Now get your pretty ass over here; we’re doing too much talking and not enough of _this_.”

He leans closer to press his lips to Castiel’s, gently pushing him down onto the pillows and settling on top of him. Castiel smiles against Dean’s hot mouth, passion already awakening deep within him and rushing through his bloodstream to stimulate every part of his body. Dean’s kisses are always breath-taking, each one leaving Castiel willing and pliant under every touch and embrace.

They always take their time when they make love, both of them wanting to explore the other and commit every last detail to memory before they are sated. Castiel lets Dean take control tonight, more than happy to lie back and accept every graze of fingertips and press of lips that are laid upon him.

Clothes are shed layer by layer, heat only rising as their bodies entwine. Dean pushes a hand down between Castiel’s legs and Castiel's head tips back, a litany of breathy moans falling from his mouth as Dean’s lips move to press kisses to his neck.

“Love you,” Castiel mumbles, eyes closed in bliss.

“Love you, too,” Dean breathes in response, settling properly between Castiel’s legs and leaning up to kiss him once more.

Castiel pulls the sheets up over Dean’s waist a little higher – despite the heat burning between them it is still undeniably winter outside – and kisses along Dean’s taut and tanned shoulder as Dean’s hips begin to move with more purpose. Sparks shoot through Castiel’s bones, intense and searing as he gives himself over to Dean fully, sweat forming on both of their bodies as they –

“ _Castiel?!_ ”

Every ounce of arousal that had been coursing through Castiel’s veins is replaced with an ice cold shockwave. His breath leaves him in one agonising rush as Dean pulls away from him, shooting upright and turning to the source of the voice across the room.

The King is stood in the open doorway. And he does not look happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I couldn’t make it the whole way through this fic without at least one cliff-hanger, could I? 
> 
> I seem to have fallen into the habit of posting once a week, so I’m gonna stick to this schedule and upload new chapters on Thursdays, unless I'm working in which case it'll be Friday instead. See you next week!
> 
> [Link to my tumblr](http://wingit-spn.tumblr.com/)


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel and Dean have been caught by the King, and he has a few choice words to say on the matter.

The heavy and relentless thump of Castiel’s heartbeat pulses deafeningly in his ears. A chill to match the frosty outdoors pierces his insides, tearing through his bones and leaving him trembling. Rooted to the spot, he grips the blankets up to his chest and stares wide-eyed over at the bedroom doorway.

They’ve been caught. The thought rings in Castiel’s mind as loud as a church bell. They’ve been caught red-handed in the most intimate of moments, by the one person most likely to rip them apart.

His father stands still between two guards, a forgotten book lying haphazardly on the floor beside him. Castiel’s eyes flicker down to the object and his stomach sinks like a ton of bricks; it’s his reading book that he’d left in the study yesterday, his father must have been returning it on his way up to bed. How could Castiel have been so stupid, to give his father a reason to come up to his bedroom unannounced?

He hears Dean gulp beside him.

His father looks to be on the verge of fainting, face drained of all colour. “C-Castiel, I…”

Castiel finds his voice, tightening his hold on the bed sheets to protect his modesty and saying shakily, “Daddy… I can explain.”

His words seem to bring some sense back to his shell-shocked father, who releases a long and tight breath before his expression turns thunderous. His hands stiffen into fists at his sides and he glares hard enough to make Castiel wince.

“ _Get dressed_ ,” he snarls.

Castiel and Dean both shoot up, grabbing whatever items of clothing they can reach and rushing to put them on with trembling fingers. With them both at least half decent, Dean clad in only his pants and Castiel in Dean’s long shirt, they stand up on hesitant legs and await the King’s next words.

But he doesn’t address either Castiel or Dean. Instead, he turns his head to the side and directs his attention to the two guards accompanying him.

“Seize him.”

The guards move into action, marching forward towards Dean and grabbing him by the arms before yanking him towards the door.

“ _No!”_ Castiel cries, running towards them to try and stop them in any way he can, not letting them take his lover without a fight.

His father beats him to it, charging towards him and grasping Castiel’s arm to hold him back.

“Take him down to the dungeons!” The King shouts, and then he glares down at Castiel. “And you? You’re coming with me.”

“ _No_ , Daddy, please!” Castiel wrestles against his father’s grip which only leads to two arms being wrapped around his middle. “Please, don’t send him down there, please don’t hurt him, his shoulder is still healing!”

His words are ignored. Dean fights against the guards with wide eyes still on Castiel, pleading and undeniably scared. The guards use his injury to their advantage; twisting Dean’s arm behind his back and making him cry out in pain as they drag him away and out the door.

“ _Dean!”_ Castiel calls, voice breaking as desperate tears spill from his eyes and cloud his vision. His chest heaves with rapid breaths as he uselessly fights in his father’s arms with no chance of escaping.

“Cas!” Dean yells back before he’s pulled around the corner, gone from view.

Castiel’s heart breaks, painful sobs wracking his entire body as he begs, “ _Please_ , don’t hurt him, Daddy, I love him, please! Don’t take him away from me, I _love_ him!”

His father doesn’t respond. Instead, he pulls Castiel out of the room and down the hallway in the opposite direction to Dean and the guards. Castiel eventually gives up on fighting and lets himself be dragged, helpless to do anything whilst caught in his father’s strong grip. No words are exchanged for the entire journey, the only sound between them being Castiel’s stream of tears.

They stop outside of the King’s bedroom door. He turns the handle and when the door swings open, he pushes Castiel inside.

Castiel stumbles but holds his ground, roughly wiping the tears from his cheeks and staring up at his father with all the defiance he can muster. “Please, just promise me you won’t hurt him, he doesn’t deserve to be hurt, he’s a good man and he loves me. Just promise me that much.”

His father turns back to Castiel from where he’d been locking the door, and the venom in his eyes kills every remaining word on Castiel’s tongue.

“Castiel, I just walked in on you getting _fucked_ by a servant; you are in _no_ position to be making demands.”

Castiel’s breath hitches, too stunned to believe his father actually just said those words. He has _never_ heard him curse before, especially not in such a vulgar context either. It’s frightening.

His lip quivers, a fresh stream of tears gathering in the corners of his eyes.

“I don’t even know where to begin,” his father says when Castiel doesn’t respond, his voice thin and clipped. “Behind my back, for who knows how long, you and that Godforsaken servant have been disrespecting the church we worship, tarnishing our family name and mocking everything we stand for!”

“No, Daddy, it’s not like that!” Castiel says desperately. “Dean and I are in love, we have been for a very long time!”

“Your childish and irresponsible ideas on love are certainly not going to make me dismiss this, Castiel! I just – I can’t believe this, in my own home, you’ve… you’ve been –”

“We haven’t done anything wrong! We’ve loved each other for months and months, but we only acted on our feelings barely a week ago. All we were doing is showing how much we love each other… it’s not like we killed anyone!”

“Haven’t done anything wrong?!” his father yells, the sheer and sudden volume of his voice making Castiel jump. “How about having sex before marriage? Or fornicating with someone as lowly as a servant? Or lying to your entire family?”

Castiel looks away, unable to meet his father’s gaze any longer. Humiliation burns in his body, scorching him from the inside out.

He hears his father begin to pace. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with you, I have no idea. How have I failed as a parent so badly…?”

The hurt cuts deep, and Castiel huffs out another sob. “You haven’t _failed_ , I – I’m not defective!”

“I’ve clearly raised you to have warped morals and no sense of integrity! I never thought I could feel so ashamed of you, Castiel; I thought you were so much _better_ than this. But you’re nothing but an insubordinate, spoilt child, are you?”

Castiel protests, voice still thick with heavy tears, “No, I’m not! How could you say that?”

Both of them say nothing for several long moments. Castiel chances a glance up at his father through tear-coated eyelashes and then wishes he hadn’t; his father’s own eyes are watering now as well, and he looks harrowed as he runs a hand through his hair.

“Just get into bed,” his father finally says. “I can’t look at you for a second longer tonight. We need to have a proper discussion in the morning.”

Castiel looks over his own shoulder at his father’s bed, feet still rooted to the spot. “But what about Dean?”

“What about him?”

“You can’t just leave him in the dungeons all night; he’s not some kind of criminal!”

“I can, and I’m going to.”

Castiel scowls up at his father as his blood boils, any remaining tears in his eyes quickly drying up. He is _not_ going to allow Dean to spend a night in that dark, cold hell, especially if he’s staying in a comfortable bed. “No, you can’t. I won’t let that happen.”

He squares his shoulders and marches past his father to the bedroom door, fiddling with the door latch and yanking it up.

His father’s voice behind him is foreboding. “Castiel…”

He doesn’t listen. With the door unlocked, he pulls it open and strides out into the hallway with every intention of rescuing his lover –

Only to walk straight into his father’s two guards who have just returned from the dungeons.

Castiel’s much smaller frame causes him to practically bounce off one of the guard’s body, and he stumbles backwards. He blinks up at the guard whose expression hasn’t changed even minutely, and then turns back to his father with a deep frown etched upon his face.

His father looks ever so slightly smug. He says to the guards, “Do not, under any circumstances, let him leave this room until I say otherwise.”

Both guards nod, stepping into the room and re-locking the door before standing in front of it, creating a wall with their broad bodies. Even in his highly-strung, emotional state, Castiel knows he doesn’t stand a chance of getting past them tonight.

“Do as you’ve been told, Castiel,” his father orders. “Get into bed and go to sleep.”

Castiel relents. The guards aren’t going to let him out of their sight tonight and there is no other exit from this room besides the windows, but considering they are some twenty metres from the ground, jumping isn’t exactly an option.

He begins to inch his way over to the bed, his father watching his every move. When his father appears to be satisfied that Castiel is finally obeying, he follows him and gets into bed himself.

The candles are blown out, and Castiel sits down feeling utterly bewildered. All of the drama and tension from the past half an hour has suddenly, and quite literally, been put to bed. He half expects his father to get up again and resume yelling, but he instead falls quiet under the pretence of falling asleep. Castiel sits there for all of a few minutes before he starts to panic.

“ _Daddy?”_ he mutters, shaking his father’s shoulder. “Are you really leaving Dean down there all night?”

He knows his father is still awake, yet he simply ignores him. It only riles Castiel up even more.

“ _Please_ , you can’t, or you should at least send me down there as well so he doesn’t have to be alone! This isn’t _fair_ ; he shouldn’t be taking my punishment too!”

But he appears to be talking to himself. His eyes well up again as he continues to plead with his silent father, shock finally settling in as the night’s events truly catch up with him. “Look, I’m sorry you found out that way, okay? I didn’t mean for that to happen; I wanted to come to you and tell you properly myself. But I really, really love him, he means everything to me and I can’t lose him now. Please, don’t take him away from me.”

Castiel knows his father is listening, but the only response he shows is a slight shift of his body. Castiel simply isn’t used to being ignored this way by him, and his sobs turn almost hysterical.

“I know you’re mad but please try and understand me! I’ve never felt this way about anyone before; he makes me happier than I ever thought I could be. Just please, don’t do anything to hurt him.”

Even with all of Castiel’s desperate ramblings, his father doesn’t say a single word in response. Castiel sits there for the longest time, heartbroken and distraught as he thinks of where Dean might be right now, cold and alone in a grungy cell with no idea when he’ll be released. By the time his father’s breathing has evened out and with the guards at the door still staring at him through the darkness, Castiel’s tears eventually pull him into an uneasy, troubled sleep.

X

Castiel wakes up the next morning to a quiet room. Weak rays of sunlight peek through the windows, telling him it is still much earlier than the time he’d usually get up, but Castiel’s mind is already alert. He pushes back the blankets, sits up and looks around.

His father’s side of the bed is already deserted. Castiel briefly wonders where he could have disappeared to in the early hours of the morning, but those thoughts are quickly forgotten when he notices something else.

The guards are gone, too.

Castiel seizes the opportunity and leaps out of bed. This may be his only chance to escape this room before the dreaded ‘talk’ he’s going to have with his father, and Castiel is desperate to make sure that Dean is alright. A night in the dungeons is something that Castiel wouldn’t wish on anyone (except for maybe Uriel or Raphael) and he doesn’t think he’ll be able to forgive his father for leaving Dean down there any time soon.

Castiel manages to slip out of the room undetected, a small victory after a night of such misfortune. It’s not a particularly long walk back to his bedroom but every step feels like a lifetime. Castiel half creeps, half darts down the hallway, a small part of him loving the thrill of rebelling in such a way. He truly feels like he’s living his own romantic adventure just like the characters in his books, and he knows that any attempt made to separate Dean and him will only strengthen their relationship and bring them even closer.

Providing, of course, Dean has survived a night in the dungeons unscathed.

Castiel rounds the corner, heart rate doubling from the adrenaline as he now finds himself mere metres from his bedroom… only to have his stomach drop at the sight of two figures stood outside of his door.

The guards. Apparently this is where they’d disappeared to.

They both look up at Castiel with matching unreadable expressions. Castiel imagines he looks a bit of a state, sneaking around the hallways of his own home dressed only in a servant’s shirt. But whilst he’d usually be consumed with insecurity, right now he has more important issues to worry about.

So he holds his head high and says, “I need to wash and change.”

The guards nod and one of them opens his bedroom door for him. Castiel thanks them through gritted teeth and goes in, waiting until they’ve closed the door behind him before rolling his eyes. How is he supposed to get past them now?

It’s looking more and more likely that he’s going to have to scale the building.

Castiel dresses quickly, mind whirring at a mile a minute as he tries to work out how on Earth he’s going to get to Dean now.

A knock on his bedroom door interrupts Castiel’s wild thoughts.

“Your Highness?” One of the guards calls. “As soon as you are dressed, we will need to escort you back to the King’s bed chamber.”

“O-okay,” Castiel responds.

His fingers shake as he buttons up his shirt. He is completely at a loss; there’s nothing he can say to the guards that will convince them to let him go, but there is simply no other way out of this room.

He takes a deep breath. It seems that desperate times have to call for desperate measures.

Castiel opens the door to meet the two guards. They look somewhat relieved that he is going with them without making a fuss, and they both stand back to let him pass first.

Castiel jumps into action. In one swift move, he spins around and drives the heel of his palm into the base of one of the guard’s nose, not stopping until he hears a satisfying crack.

The guard shouts out, hand coming up to clutch his nose as the other one lunges forward to grab Castiel, wrapping his arms around him in what Dean calls a ‘bear hug’ hold.

Castiel uses everything Dean has taught him and stomps hard on the guard’s foot, before dropping his weight and forcing an elbow into his stomach. The guard doubles over, releasing Castiel and giving him the freedom to escape. As the first guard regains some sense, Castiel flattens his hand into a knife shape and strikes the side of the first guard’s neck, knocking him back down.

With one last spin around and kick to the second guard’s knee for good measure, Castiel runs. He runs faster than he ever has with adrenaline thrumming through his veins, not once looking back.

He makes it as far as the top of the stairs before he hears the sound of pounding footsteps behind him. His fear spikes; at the rate that he is running he will never be able to outrun the guards, and they are going to catch up to him in a matter of minutes.

So what does he do now?

A small and nondescript door on his left suddenly catches his eye. Castiel lights up as a perfect solution occurs to him – a broom cupboard like this one would make an ideal hiding place for him to fool the guards. All he needs to do is mislead them long enough to lose their attention and then he’ll be able to finally reach Dean with no trouble.

He darts sideways and sneaks into the tiny room, his slim body making the hideaway a perfect fit.

He has been standing there for all of thirty seconds before the guards come careering past, both cursing under their breaths as they head right past him and down the stairs. Castiel releases a long and deep breath. His plan has worked.

He waits several minutes just to be absolutely sure that the guards aren’t going to backtrack, and then slips through the door. It’s still early enough that the hallways are mostly deserted, allowing him to continue his risky journey down to the dungeons with no more unwanted interactions.

Castiel’s heart begins to quicken again when he reaches the top of the dungeon stairs. He rarely visits this area of the castle; there is an incredibly uneasy aura about this place that chills his body and gives him goosebumps. He feels a pang of sickness, knowing that his beautiful protector has had to spend an entire night here.

Castiel takes a deep breath and begins his descend down the dungeon stairs. The sound of his footsteps on the slightly damp stone bounces off the walls and creates an echo like the creepy calling of a ghost. Castiel gulps and pulls his shirt tighter around his body, thoroughly unprepared for such an unforgiving chill.

The entrance to the dungeon is just a left turn and short walk from the stairs, and it will no doubt be guarded. If Castiel is perfectly honest, he hasn’t yet considered how he’s going to make it past _this_ guard; it will likely have to be a spontaneous endeavour.

Sure enough, a single guard sits beside the locked dungeon gate, fiddling with his sword and looking rather bored to tears.

Castiel squints at the oddly familiar guard in the dim light until a realisation dawns on him – this is Benny, one of Dean’s closest and most trusted friends within the castle. A little bubble of hope grows in Castiel’s chest. Surely Dean’s friend will help to get him out?

Castiel approaches Benny cautiously. Whilst he’s heard a bit about him from Dean, Castiel himself has barely had any kind of interaction with him before so he is unsure of how to speak with him.

When Benny notices him, an intrigued and oddly knowing smirk forms on his face.

“Your Highness! What an unexpected surprise.”

“Hello, Benny,” Castiel says as he reaches the gate. “Can you let me in, please? I need to release my protector.”

“Sorry, I’ve been given specific orders to not let you anywhere near your protector.”

Castiel gives him a tight smile. He’s already made it this far, and he’s not going to be stopped now by a cocky guard who doesn’t want to be helpful. So Castiel says, “Look, I’m getting in there one way or another so why not just make this simple?”

It pulls a laugh from Benny, and Castiel raises his eyebrows at the fact that unlike most other guards, Benny does not immediately back down. “Why would the prince be needing to get into the dungeons, anyway?”

“That’s none of your business,” Castiel snaps, patience quickly wearing thin.

Benny smirks. “So this doesn’t have anything to do with the secret affair you’ve been having with Dean?”

Castiel falters, eyes widening as he stares up at Benny with an open mouth. “I… what?”

“You two aren’t nearly as subtle as you think you are. Dean is a good friend of mine here, and I’ve had to put up with him pining over you for months.”

Benny has known for _months_ about Dean’s feelings? Why didn’t Dean say anything? “He told you?”

“No. He didn’t have to. Like I said, didn’t have to be a genius to work it out.”

Castiel sighs. “Oh. Well, I don’t mean to be rude but my father will probably be sending out a search party for me any minute now so I don’t exactly have time to stand around and chat. Are you going to let me in or am I finding another way?”

The smile doesn’t fall from Benny’s face; in fact, Castiel would go as far to say he even looks a little impressed. “You’re a funny one, aren’t you? Alright, Your Highness, just for amusing me so much I’ll give you the key.”

Castiel raises his eyebrows, but holds his hand out for the key nonetheless. “I may be a funny one but you’re certainly a daring one. Not many guards would be so bold with me.”

Benny smiles again, flicking through his keys to find the right one. “I’m not like the other guards. Here, this is the key to Dean’s cell, number seventeen. Hurry up and get him out before you cause him any more hurt.”

Castiel accepts the key with a frown. “Thank you?”

“You’re welcome. Now get going.”

Benny opens the gate and Castiel hurries through. The dungeon consists of two long corridors with cells on each side, all of them equally small, sad and desolate. It’s eerily quiet; any prisoners who reside in here don’t seem to be particularly chatty. Castiel edges forwards, hair on the back of his neck shooting up as his eyes darting around to investigate every corner.

“Dean?” he calls out hesitantly.

He is met with silence, seemingly not a single speck of life making itself known before him. Just as Castiel is about to panic, he catches the faint sound of a confused voice.

“Cas?”

He gasps, able to recognise his protector’s voice from a mile away. “Dean!”

Castiel’s pace quickens into a run, chasing Dean’s voice until he nears the end of the corridor. Sure enough, cell seventeen is here on the left, and Castiel fumbles with the keys in his hand so he can unlock the gate as soon as he reaches it.

He takes a deep breath before peeking through the bars of the cell, and his heart breaks at the sight.

Dean is sitting on the hard, grungy ground, back against the wall with his wrists caught in chains above his head. His pants are dirty and his hair is wild, though with a sigh of relief, Castiel notes that there are no visible injuries or signs of hurt.

“Dean!” he sighs, eyes filling with tears at the sight of his protector looking so helpless.

Dean’s wide eyes stare up at him, desperate and hopeful. “Cas!”

Castiel’s fingers shake as he struggles to get the key in the lock, taking a couple of attempts before he manages to swing the door open. Once inside, he rushes over to Dean and collapses onto the ground beside him, pressing their lips together and kissing him urgently.

“Are you okay?” Castiel asks him, tears leaking from his eyes as he finds the other key to unlock Dean’s wrist chains.

“I’m alright, Cas, are you?”

Castiel only nods, unlocking the chains above Dean’s head as he peppers his forehead with kisses. Finally, the chain opens with a satisfying snap, and Dean’s arms drop down as he groans loudly. Castiel places his hands on Dean’s shoulders and squeezes them; they must be incredibly sore after a whole night in such an uncomfortable position.

“I’m so sorry, Dean,” Castiel whimpers. “I’m sorry you were left here all night, I begged my father to let you go but he just wouldn’t listen.”

“That’s not your fault, baby.”

Dean pulls Castiel into a hug and they cling to each other for a long and reassuring moment. Castiel breathes in the comforting scent of his alpha; his heart has been racing for too many hours now and it feels good to finally begin to relax somewhat.

“So what happened?” Castiel asks Dean, pulling away from the hug just enough to be able to see his face. In this closer proximity, Castiel can see just how drained Dean looks with bloodshot eyes and heavy bags. He kisses Dean once more before Dean replies.

“Nothing, really. They brought me down here and chained me up, then they just left me here. No one said a word to me.”

“I suppose it’s not as bad as I’d been imagining. I was so worried you would be beaten or harmed in some way.”

“What about you? What did your Dad say? Am I gonna lose my junk?”

Castiel huffs out a weak laugh. “Well, he certainly wasn’t happy, that’s for sure. He was shouting and cursing – I’ve never heard him curse like that before. It was horrible.”

“He didn’t hurt you or anything, did he?”

“No, no, nothing like that.”

“Good. Did he say anything about what’s he planning to do with us now?”

“No. I don’t think he even knows himself, to be honest. He wants to talk to me properly today now that everyone’s had some sleep, but I snuck away before he could see me.”

Dean’s face breaks into a beautiful, bright smile. “Really? Damn, Cas, you’re really taking this rebelling thing seriously, aren’t you?”

Castiel giggles and nods. “I might have used some of the combat techniques you’ve taught me to… persuade a few guards.”

“God, I love you so much,” Dean beams, leaning in to give Castiel an amorous kiss. When he pulls away, he shifts his shoulders with a grimace. “Man, my shoulders are killing me.”

“I’m not surprised, being stuck here all night.” Castiel does a closer inspection of Dean’s body to check if he might be hurting elsewhere too. He catches sight of angry bruises littering Dean’s wrists where the chains had dug into his skin, and coos in sympathy. He brings Dean’s hands up to his mouth and kisses each bruise, murmuring, “I’ll give you a back rub later.”

Dean raises his eyebrows. “You think we’ll be allowed to be alone together?”

Castiel smirks up at him. “Even if we aren’t, do you think that’ll stop us?”

Any concern left on Dean’s face fades into a soft smile. “Not a chance in hell.”

The growing sound of distant and aggressive footsteps above them disturbs their loving moment, forcing both of their gazes upwards as they identify who the footsteps likely belong to. Castiel’s heart sinks, but his determination remains. He won't be leaving this cell unless Dean comes with him.

“Sounds like they’ve found me,” he sighs.

“Whatever happens, Cas,” Dean says, placing a gentle kiss on Castiel’s lips. “We’re gonna fight for us, right?”

“Of course.” Castiel returns Dean’s kiss and smiles. “I’ll never stop fighting, Dean.”

As the footsteps reach the stairs and grow louder with every step, the two of them stay right where they are with a firm grasp on each other’s bodies.

“I’m scared,” Castiel mumbles. “I have no idea what my father is going to do with us.”

“Me neither. Let’s just pray that my junk stays safe though, right?”

Castiel laughs. “Nice to see that a night amongst the criminals hasn’t changed you too much. You’re still an idiot.”

They fall into a passionate kiss, distracting themselves from the approaching footsteps that reach the bottom of the stairs and begin to march down to the corridor towards their cell. Castiel keeps his nerve, never breaking contact with Dean until he hears a harassed and irritated sigh behind him.

He ends the kiss to look over his shoulder, glaring at whoever has intruded on their private moment. Sure enough, the King stands in the entrance of the cell, surrounded by a few guards and wearing his own expression of distain.

“Castiel, for heaven’s sake, get out of there,” his father snaps. “A prince does not belong on the floor of a dungeon.”

Castiel takes hold of Dean’s hand and squeezes it. “Only if Dean comes with me.”

His father sighs heavily, rubbing a hand over his tired face. “Fine. You’re joining me for a talk in my study anyway so frankly, I don’t care where he goes.”

Castiel and Dean both climb to their feet, neither one of them wanting to loosen their grip on the other. With a deep breath, they step out of the cell and begin to follow the King out of the dungeons. They may not know exactly what the King is planning on doing with them, but Castiel can almost guarantee that whatever happens is going to hurt like hell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I said last time that I’d be uploading once a week but here I am now, a whole week late. I’m sorry! I had too much to do for this chapter and not enough time to do it in. Turns out I spent a lot of time planning the build up to Castiel and Dean getting caught and not a lot of time thinking about the aftermath. All I’d written in my plan was ‘there is an argument’, so I didn’t exactly have much to work with!
> 
> I didn’t mean to make Cas quite so mission impossible when he was trying to get down to the dungeons, but that’s what ended up happening. Kinda nice to have the omega coming to the aid of the alpha for a change, though!
> 
> As always, let me know what you think!
> 
> [Link to my tumblr](http://wngit-spn.tumblr.com/)


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disputes over Castiel and Dean's relationship only continue.

The walk up to the King’s study is long. The King himself leads the way, marching down the hallways as Castiel and Dean trail after him hand in hand. Guards surround them just to make sure there is no chance of escape this time; not that Castiel would chance it. They’re already in too precarious of a position.

The King does not turn around or speak until they reach his study, and he looks down at Castiel with a hard glare.

“You’re coming in here with me. As for your servant, he can wait out here until I say we’re finished.”

“Why can’t Dean come with me?” Castiel retorts. “This involves him, too. He deserves to have his say.”

“I don’t give a _fuck_ about what he has to say.”

Castiel opens his mouth to snap in response, but he abruptly falls silent at the sound of an aggravated voice beside him.

“Don’t talk to him that way,” Dean growls, glaring at the King and not backing down even when the King directs his blazing eyes towards him instead.

There is an awful, long moment of silence as the two alphas stare each other down. Castiel’s eyes dart between them, chest tight with the breath he is holding. Whilst he is incredibly angry with his father’s behaviour since last night, he doesn’t want him and Dean to end up fighting. All Castiel wants is for his family to accept Dean, and he doesn’t want any chance of that happening to be ruined by senseless rage.

The King finally speaks in a tight voice. “When I want to hear the opinion of a servant, which I _don’t_ , I will _ask_ for it.”

Dean doesn’t answer, though he maintains eye contact until the King looks away and pushes open the door to his study.

“Castiel, follow me,” the King orders, and then walks into the study without another word.

Castiel finally releases the breath he’d been holding and looks up at Dean sadly. “Wish me luck?”

Dean brings their joined hands up to his lips to press a kiss to Castiel’s skin. “Shout for me if you need me, okay? I’ll be right out here.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Castiel untangles his hand from Dean’s and trudges into the study, only to have his stomach drop at the sight of two additional people waiting inside.

Michael and Gabriel.

Castiel looks to his father with wide eyes for some kind of explanation. He understands his father is annoyed with him, but to go and tell Michael and Gabriel without Castiel’s permission? It’s incredibly unfair.

His father glares back. “Yes, I told your brothers of your shame.”

“What the hell, Castiel?” Michael says, never able to resist making a judgmental comment. “What were you thinking?”

Castiel rolls his eyes, again reminded of how Michael can often be a miniature version of their father. He ignores Michael’s condescending question and instead turns to his father to demand, “Why did you tell them?”

His father looks far from apologetic. “They deserved to know how their younger brother was disgracing the family name that they share, and I didn’t think I could rely on you to tell them since you aren’t very forthcoming with information.”

“It’s disgusting, Castiel!” Michael interjects, his back straightened just to make him that little bit taller. “Of all the people, you choose some dirty servant? You’re a _prince_ , it’s just so wrong.”

Castiel’s heart clenches as yet another member of his family criticises him. He bites back, “Why is it wrong? I spend nearly all of my time with Dean and he treats me with nothing but care and respect, like I’m a real person instead of just a title. He makes me laugh and when I’m unhappy he knows how to make me feel better. He taught me how to defend myself, he supports my work and makes me feel special and cherished. How is our love _wrong_?”

Michael folds his arms tightly across his chest. “Because again, he’s a servant. And because he stole your innocence without marrying you first; he’s spoilt you!”

“He didn’t _steal_ my innocence, I gave it to him!” Castiel is sick of sex before marriage being made out to be such a crime, and he will not allow his family to try and make him feel guilty for it. “I wanted him to take it, and I’m glad that he did.”

“How can you be _glad_ of that?” Their father says. “You’re glad that you’ve committed a sin?”

“I _haven’t_. A sin is deliberating hurting another person, or stealing something that doesn’t belong to you. All I’ve done is fall in love; how is that in any way the same thing?”

“You’re not hearing what we’re saying, Castiel!” their father yells. “Tell any priest of what you’ve done and they’ll agree that it is a sin!”

Castiel huffs, already close to tears from the sheer frustration he feels. It’s as though they’re running in circles; why isn’t anyone hearing what he’s saying?

And most importantly, why hasn’t Gabriel said anything? Castiel looks to his favourite brother with wide and desperate eyes, only to find Gabriel staring down at the floor. Castiel waits for him to say something, _anything_ , but Gabriel doesn’t look up for even a second.

“Gabriel?” Castiel finally pleads.

Gabriel ignores him, and Castiel’s heart breaks.

“Don’t try and guilt-trip your brother into anything, you little harlot,” his father snaps.

Castiel scoffs, forcing his attention away from Gabriel. “I hardly think I’m comparable to a sex worker.”

Michael raises an eyebrow. “Well, this sort of thing can be a gateway, and it’s how a lot of sex workers actually start out so –”

Their father interrupts, “That’s getting a little off-topic, don’t you think?”

Castiel rolls his eyes. “I’ll say.”

“The point is we need to resolve this before word starts getting out and our reputation becomes tarnished. Castiel, clearly you’ve been brainwashed by Dean and his bohemian, southern way of living, but here we have a bit more respect for ourselves.”

“So you’re gonna punish me just for the sake of what other people might think of us?”

“It’s not just that, Castiel, I’m trying to protect you as well. I don’t want you to end up in Hell for all of this, and I’m sure you don’t want to either!”

Before Castiel can respond, a quieter, less irate voice interjects from the other side of the room. His eyes snap over to the source of the voice as Gabriel speaks for the first time since Castiel entered this room. “How long has this been going on?”

Castiel stares at him for a few moments before responding. Gabriel is finally looking up at him, but his expression is unreadable. Castiel perks up the slightest amount. Perhaps there is still a chance of Gabriel taking his side?

He answers Gabriel in a softer voice. “We’ve loved each other for months but we only said it out loud about a week ago. That was when we became intimate.”

Gabriel’s facial expression doesn’t change. “So you didn’t tell anyone about it?”

“I… well, I told Balthazar, but that was it.”

His eyes are pulled away from Gabriel when his father says in exasperation, “Castiel, what if he tells his father, or anyone else for that matter? I’ll be judged, laughed at by my people!”

Castiel rolls his eyes once again. “He won’t tell anyone, he’d never do that to me.”

Gabriel speaks again, and this time disappointment is clear in his voice. It cuts Castiel like a knife. “Were you even planning on telling any of us?”

“Of course I was,” Castiel says, rueful. “I just didn’t know how to do it; I needed more time.”

His father is still very much unconvinced. “I find it hard to believe a single word that comes out of your mouth. What did you think would happen when you told us?”

“I thought that as my family, you would be supportive. I’ve been lucky enough to find love with a wonderful person; I thought you’d be happy for me!”

“A wonderful person!” His father lets out a humourless laugh. “That’s a joke. I’ve seen him for what he is now; just another one of those predatory alphas who’s actually managed to seduce you.”

“Is that really what you think?” Castiel falters for moment. He hadn’t realised how little his family thinks of Dean, and it manages to simply drain all of his energy. “I… I thought you all liked Dean.”

“Yes, we did, but as your protector, not some Goddamn secret lover!”

“But he’s still my protector and he’s still the same person he was before you all found out about us!”

“Exactly! We’ve discovered how wrong we were, and how much we misjudged that man.”

Castiel throws his arms up in the air. “Fine. In that case, I don’t care what you think about him. Just know that whatever you say is not going to change my mind about him, in fact, it’ll probably only make me love him more!”

“Are you honestly still choosing him over your own family?” The first signs of hurt finally appear on his father’s face. “Castiel, I’ve always been nothing but supportive of you. I defended you to that council every time they tried to accuse you about Dean, and all I’ve done is try to give you a good and respectable life. Are you really going to throw that away for the sake of some alpha who you’ve known for barely half a year?”

Castiel breathes heavily through his nose, hands clenching at his sides without him even realising. “I don’t understand why I have to choose! I get that you’re upset but I know in my heart that I haven’t done anything wrong. Again, I’m sorry you had to find out that way but I won’t apologise for my relationship with Dean!”

“Well, I’m sorry you feel that way, Castiel. But your relationship with Dean is something that I just cannot condone. I don’t know what I’m going to do yet but I’m not just going to accept that you’ve decided to choose a servant!”

Castiel splutters, running a hand through his hair. He finally turns to Gabriel again and pleads, “Gabriel, why aren’t you saying anything?!”

Gabriel doesn’t answer right away. He casts a quick glance at their father before squaring his shoulders and saying, “I don’t have anything to say to you, Castiel.”

A lump rises in Castiel’s throat, and words fail him. His eyes shift to look at each member of his family individually, and his heart sinks when he only sees three identical expressions of disapproval.

He swallows heavily, and then marches out of the room in silence.

When he comes out into the hallway, Dean pushes himself off the wall he had been leaning on and looks at him with an expectant expression. But Castiel cannot bring himself to recall the argument just yet for fear of bursting into tears.

So instead, he says, “Can we go for a ride around the grounds?”

Dean raises his eyebrows, surprised by Castiel’s answer. “Uh, yeah, sure.”

“Thanks. I need to go and change first, meet me down at the stables in ten minutes?”

X

Castiel doesn’t speak again until Dean and he have mounted one of the horses from the stables and begun a slow and ambling walk around the grounds. The cold is biting but Castiel barely notices it, mind too absorbed in his own grief to pay it any attention.

Dean is the one to break the silence, murmuring from where he sits pressed up behind Castiel, “I’m guessing from how quiet you are that it didn’t go well.”

Castiel sighs, leaning back heavily against Dean and relaxing somewhat when Dean squeezes a reassuring arm around his waist. “It went badly. Very badly.”

“What did he say?”

“It wasn’t just my father; he’d already told my brothers by the time I’d got there. My father was mouthing off about how big of a sin I’ve committed, and couldn’t seem to let go of the fact that you’re a servant. Michael was the same; basically repeating everything my father said.”

“And Gabriel?”

Tears that had been threatening to spill since Castiel left the study finally boil over, dripping down his face as he remembers just how cold his brother had been. “He didn’t say a thing. I… I really thought he’d stick up for me, but… he didn’t do _anything_.”

Dean sighs behind him, hiding his face in the crook of Castiel’s neck. “I’m so sorry, Cas. This is my fault. If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t have fallen out with your whole family…”

Castiel sniffles, and rubs a hand up and down Dean’s arm. “No, don’t say that. If we start feeling guilty then it means they’ve won. We don’t need to apologise for loving each other.”

Dean nods against Castiel’s shoulder, and then lifts his head back up. “Yeah. Yeah, you’re right.”

Neither of them speak for a while as Dean gently directs the horse. Castiel breathes deeply, allowing the brisk air to clear his head and calm him.

Dean kisses the side of Castiel’s head and says in a quiet voice, “Do you think they’re gonna try and send me away?”

Castiel sighs. “Maybe. I don’t know.”

Dean presses his lips against Castiel’s shoulder, and mumbles, “I love you.”

It shatters Castiel’s heart to hear Dean’s voice so weak and helpless. An indignant bubble grows in his chest at the fact that his family have forced Dean to feel this way, and he straightens his back. “We can’t let them affect us this way; we’re not going to let them put us down. I don’t care what they try and throw our way, we’re not gonna let it break us, are we?”

“No. We’re not. We can’t.”

Castiel slumps again, turning his head to press a long kiss to Dean’s jaw and sighing, “I love you, too.”

They finish their horse ride in contemplative silence. Castiel is trying to think optimistically, trying to make himself believe that in the end, Dean and he will find their happiness but deep down, he is worried. He feels sick to his stomach that they will be ripped apart, separated in some way or another. It's a fear he must not allow to consume him.

X

The day only goes from bad to worse. On Castiel and Dean’s way up to their bedroom later on that evening, they are stopped by a voice calling out behind them.

“Castiel. Can you come with me, please?”

Castiel turns around to glare at his father. “Why?”

“We didn’t finish our conversation from earlier.”

Castiel sighs, squeezing Dean’s hand tighter for reassurance. “I don’t wanna argue now. I’m tired.”

“I’m not saying we’re going to argue. It’s just a discussion. And it’s important.”

“He said he’s tired,” Dean snaps.

The King glares daggers at Dean before saying in a derisive tone. “We won’t keep him long.”

Castiel’s father leads them to one of the larger studies generally used for council meetings, and once again, orders Dean to stay outside.

Dean begins to protest, but Castiel stops him. “It’s fine, as long as we make this quick.”

So he follows his father into the study, looking over his shoulder to give Dean what he hopes is a comforting half-smile. The door is closed before any more words can be exchanged between them, so with a heavy heart, Castiel turns his attention to the room he’s just entered.

Ah. Apparently there’s a reason his father has taken him to the room used for council meetings.

This _is_ a council meeting.

Tears fill Castiel’s eyes at the sight of all six council members staring back at him, but he pushes any waterworks back. It’s one thing to cry in front of his family, but he will not allow himself to appear upset in front of the council. He will not let them see him as weak.

“This is ridiculous!” he bursts out, turning to glare at his father. “How on _Earth_ is this any of their business?”

“For your information, I wasn’t the one who told them,” his father responds. Castiel rolls his eyes. No, he’d put his money on Michael being the one to blab. His father would have been too proud to admit such a thing and whilst Gabriel seems to not be on Castiel’s side, Castiel still doesn’t think he’d go around blurting such news to the council. Plus, Michael has been known to be rather pally with Gadreel. The King goes on. “But since they know now, they’re here to advise me.”

“Oh, I bet they are,” Castiel bites back, crossing his arms and directing his glower at each council member.

“I know you think this doesn’t involve us, Castiel,” Gadreel says from where he sits at the table. “But something as scandalous as being caught in bed with a servant could cause a quite a stir amongst the people. As a member of the royal family, you must set an example and lead a respectable life. If word gets out about this, your family’s reputation could go down the drain. We’re here to advise your father and help him make the best decision.”

“Well, I think you’re all overreacting,” Castiel says. “I think that the people won’t care nearly as much as you think they will, and I think that you’re just looking for an excuse to put me down.”

“Castiel, little omega, if I may,” Uriel chimes in with a simpering smile. “You seem to be confusing northern people with southern people. I’m sure this sort of thing happens all the time in the south but up here, we have clearer values, rules and regulations. That servant of yours has caused quite the confusion in your head, hasn’t he?”

Castiel chooses to ignore the patronising tone of voice. Instead, he plasters a smirk on his face to hide his frustration and says, “Well, I don’t know what you expect to do about this now. My virginity has already been taken, and I don’t think there’s a chance of me getting it back.”

“You should watch your tongue, little prince,” Raphael says to Castiel with a sharp glare. He then turns to the King and says self-righteously, “We told you that you’d regret hiring that southerner.”

The King doesn’t answer. He collapses into a chair and runs a hand through his hair.

“I hope you know, Castiel,” Naomi says. “That this little fantasy that you’re living will only end badly. Yes, we understand your want to rebel this way but unfortunately it’s not going to last forever.”

“My relationship with Dean is not going to end,” Castiel retorts.

“Well, good luck continuing your unsavoury little romance when that servant is sent back to his wretched hometown!” Uriel says, barely able to hide the glee from his voice.

The King holds up a hand to silence Uriel. “I’m not sending the servant back to Lawrence.”

Castiel turns to his father with wide, hopeful eyes. “You’re not?”

“I see no need to. What’s going on here doesn’t change the fact that he’s one of the best guards we have.”

“What do you propose to do with him, then?” Raphael says in disbelief. “Keep him here until he ends up impregnating your only omega child?”

Castiel smirks. “Let’s hope so.”

His father glares up at him. “Don’t make me change my mind.”

The rest of the council don’t seem to be happy with Castiel’s comment either. Raphael’s expression turns nasty, and he snaps, “You know, we are not above putting guards in your bedroom at night, Castiel.”

Castiel doesn’t drop the smug, little smile he’s wearing. “Yeah, I don’t think that’d have an effect. Dean and I are very passionate.”

“For heaven’s sake, Castiel,” his father sighs. “Will you shut up for one minute and just listen?”

Castiel rolls his eyes, but says nothing else.

His father continues. “The council and I had a discussion before you arrived. We’ve been debating a solution for this problem and we believe we’ve now reached a decision.”

Castiel sighs. If his father is going to allow Dean to stay here in the castle, then what could he possibly do that’d be so bad? “Fine. What is it?”

“We’ve decided that it’s time for you to get married.”

Castiel raises his eyebrows. They want him to get married to Dean? Castiel didn’t exactly want to get married this young but if it will appease his father and solve the whole ‘having sex whilst unmarried’ debacle, then Castiel will gladly do it.

“Well, Dean and I would have preferred to wait a while before getting married but if it’s what you want –”

“No, no, Castiel, you’re not understanding me. You won’t be marrying Dean.”

Castiel frowns, his mind not comprehending what his father is trying to say. “What? But, who else would I marry?”

“I don’t know yet. But we will start searching for a respectable alpha from a good family who we think will make a fine husband for you and –”

“ _No_ ,” Castiel interrupts. His brain is working at a mile a minute, trying to keep up with his father’s words and failing. Surely they’re not serious? Castiel knows his father is mad but he’d never actually force him to marry another man, would he? This must just be a scare tactic, a way to persuade Castiel to admit that he’s wrong and end his relationship with Dean.

His father’s expression is solemn. “Please try to understand why we’re doing this, Castiel. By arranging a wedding, we can squash any rumours about you and Dean, and you can begin to get over this wild crush you have on him.”

“A crush?” Castiel repeats incredulously. “How can you still not believe that what I have with Dean is real? I _love_ him, and I’m not going to let your ridiculous plan break us up!”

“It’s not ridiculous, Castiel. And it’s not just a plan; it’s going to happen.”

“Well, then I don’t consent. I’m not going to agree to marry some random alpha just because you want me to.”

“You know what, Castiel?” his father startles him by rising from his seat with such force that he knocks the chair backwards, snarling, “We don’t need your consent.”

All of the air leaves Castiel’s lungs as he stares up at his father, taken aback by the sudden aggression. His mouth opens and closes a few times before any words manage to escape. “But… if you’re going to try and marry me off to someone else, why are you letting Dean stay in the castle?”

“Like I said, he’s a good guard. When it’s time for you to get married, I’ll just redistribute him to another part of the castle.”

“You…” Castiel flounders, trying to think of a biting response but coming up short. “You can’t do that.”

“Try me.”

“You can’t separate us! We’ll break down every wall or guard that you put between us; we’re not just going to let you pull us apart!”

His father lets out a long sigh. “Fine. Until we find you a suitable husband, you can keep your filthy servant.”

Castiel breathes a small sigh of relief. He won't be losing Dean, not now, not never, and some ridiculous plan to marry Castiel off to a stranger just isn't going to work.

His father catches the look of relief on Castiel's face, and sneers, “You’re already damaged goods, anyway.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new chapter Thursday, my darlings!
> 
> I'll be honest, the last two chapters have been more difficult to write for some reason, and I've found myself reading over comments a lot to motivate myself! Your feedback really helps a lot :)
> 
> [Link to my tumblr](http://wingit-spn.tumblr.com/)


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel and Dean have a frank talk with the King that might plant the tiniest seeds of doubt in their minds.

Castiel doesn’t speak to or even see any member of his family for a couple of days. On some level, he thinks he’s trying to avoid them. He wants to give his father time to cool off and take back those hurtful and ridiculous things he had said. He wants to wait for Gabriel to come to him and tell him he’s sorry for not defending him sooner.

Neither of those hopes actually comes true though. Castiel spends a large amount of his time pretending to be less upset than he really is, wanting to maintain a strong façade in front of other people and to protect Dean’s feelings because he knows that Dean feels guilty. Castiel has reassured Dean that no matter what happens with his family, he will never regret choosing his protector but Dean seems to have trouble accepting that sometimes. He thinks he isn’t worth the trouble.

Dean’s lack of self-esteem saddens Castiel to no end, because he firmly believes that Dean is the most wonderful person he’s ever met. It’s a work in progress though, and the two of them just need to take each day as it comes.

The next encounter the two of them have with any of Castiel’s family happens accidentally, on a quiet Friday night. As the sun begins its descent to make room for the moon, Castiel and Dean head to the nearest drawing room to relax together for a while before getting ready for bed. They are just walking into the drawing room, caught up in a teasing conversation in which Castiel tries to convince Dean to slow dance with him, when they catch sight of someone sitting in an armchair, reading.

It’s the King. He looks up at them with surprised eyes before his face settles into a glower.

He doesn’t say a word.

Castiel can feel Dean beside him start to inch backwards as if to leave, but Castiel holds his ground. He’s not going to walk on eggshells in his own home, and he certainly won’t be intimidated by his own family.

So he links arms with Dean and pulls them both into the room, deliberately ignoring the glare his father directs at them.

“Cas?” Dean mumbles out of the side of his mouth. “What’re you doing?”

“This room is for everyone,” Castiel replies loudly enough for his father to hear. “We don’t need to leave.”

He hears his father scoff.

Castiel turns to his father with a raised eyebrow and baits, “Is there a problem?”

He really shouldn’t be poking the bear like this but he just can’t help himself; it’s a way to prove that he’s not just going to take whatever punishment is thrown at him lying down.

And also, it’s a little entertaining.

The King returns his eyes to the book on his lap, the hint of a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. “No, no. You enjoy the time that you have before you get married.”

“Thanks, but I won’t be getting married.”

The King glances up at Castiel, expression cold. “I don’t think that’s for you to decide.”

“Isn’t it? That seems odd, since it’s my body, my happiness, and my own Goddamn life.”

“Get mad at me all you want, Castiel, but please don’t blaspheme.”

Castiel rolls his eyes, heading over to one of the couches and collapsing down onto it. Dean stays exactly where he is, feet planted in the middle of the large rug he stands on.

“Well, I hope you’re happy, Daddy,” Castiel says. “You don’t need to waste any more of your time pretending like you give a crap about promoting omega rights, because you clearly don’t. I suppose it was all just to humour me, wasn’t it?”

“Will you stop with the melodrama, Castiel?” The King sighs. “Comparing this situation to how I feel about the entirety of omegas is a little far-fetched.”

“Am I wrong? For my whole life, you’ve agreed that omegas deserve to have independence and yet here you are, trying to force me into an unhappy marriage without my consent.”

“Why do you assume it’ll be an unhappy marriage? I’m not going to send you off to some brute, Castiel, I’m going to find someone who I know will treat you kindly.”

“That seems like an awful lot of effort considering I’ve already found someone who treats me kindly, and so much more.”

The King sets firm eyes on Dean as he responds resolutely, “A _servant_ is not a suitable husband for you, Castiel.”

“Why not?”

Hard eyes return to Castiel. “You _know_ why. An uneducated servant from some tiny, deprived town is incapable of providing you with the life you deserve.”

“Yes, he _is_.”

“No, he isn’t. He doesn’t have the intelligence or the prosperity.”

Castiel rolls his eyes. People can throw insults at Dean all they want, but to expect him to just have to stand there and listen to it? It’s not fair. “If you’re going to insult him, at least allow him to defend himself.”

“Fine,” his father retorts, slamming his book closed with unnecessary force and staring up at Dean. “Go ahead, Dean. Defend yourself. Explain why you think you’re so deserving of marrying an omega prince.”

Even from where Castiel sits a short distance away, he can see Dean gulp. His protector is quiet for a good few seconds before glancing over at Castiel, for help or reassurance, Castiel isn’t sure. He just gives Dean an encouraging smile. This is the first time his father has shown any interest in listening to Dean’s point of view, and whatever the reason for it, it’s still some sort of progress.

Dean returns his eyes to the King, straightening his back before saying, “With all due respect, Your Majesty, no matter how hard you search for another husband for Cas, you won’t find anyone who can love him as much as I do. You won’t find anyone who _knows_ him like I do, and you certainly won’t find anyone who will see him as anything more than a baby maker. I don’t know how you guys up here view marriage but where I’m from, it’s a celebration of love and if you think that can be replaced by wealth or status then I’m sorry, but you’re wrong.”

The King seems to barely refrain from rolling his eyes. “A touching sentiment, yes. But I’m afraid that’s just not enough.”

Castiel sighs heavily, running a hand through his hair. He’d thought that perhaps his father may have been warming to Dean the slightest bit but he just doesn’t seem to be budging. Of course, Castiel is beyond relieved that Dean is being allowed to stay in the castle but for what reason, exactly? All it’s causing is more arguments and upset. Castiel bursts out, “I don’t understand this! If you hate Dean so much, then why are you even letting him stay?”

The King considers the two of them for a moment before setting his book aside, shoulders deflating as he does so. “Oddly enough, I don’t hate you, Dean. I’ve never lied about the fact that I’m glad I hired you. Castiel was lonely for a long time, and I’ve always been happy that he managed to befriend you.”

Castiel frowns in confusion, and he imagines he’s not the only one doing so right now. He doesn’t say a word though; he waits for his father to continue.

“But you’re just not right for my son. As much as Castiel prides himself on being like ‘one of the regular people’, he has still grown up in a very privileged, isolated environment. He just wouldn’t be prepared for a _real_ life with you.”

Castiel’s eyes fall to his lap, and he begins to unconsciously pick at his fingernails. He won’t let his father’s words affect him but… is there some truth in what he’s saying?

Dean remains passionately defensive. “A person doesn’t need tons of money or twenty servants just to be happy.”

“I’m not saying they do. But for someone like Castiel who has been exposed to a lifetime of luxuries, it’s very, very hard for them to adjust to having next to nothing, the way you’ve had it your whole life. I’m sorry but you just can’t give him the life he needs.”

Dean gulps again, though it doesn’t hide the tiny tremor in his voice. “Yes, I can. I can make him happy.”

“Oh, really?” The King sees Dean wavering, and he uses it to his advantage. Castiel still doesn’t remove his gaze from his lap as his father goes on. “Where’s your house big enough to raise the children? Where’s all your money to feed and clothe your family? Could you really take a prince away from his home to live a life of poverty, all for the sake of some whirlwind romance?”

Castiel swallows around a painful lump in his throat and says weakly, “We don’t need a lot of money to be happy.”

He finally meets his father’s gaze and he is surprised at the expression he sees on his face. It’s almost… sympathetic.

The King responds, “Well, you say that now…”

He doesn’t finish the sentence. He doesn’t need to.

With a pointed look in Castiel’s direction, Dean turns and heads towards the door, shoulders heavy and sagging.

Castiel stands on tentative legs and follows him, but as Dean leaves the room, Castiel turns back to his father to say one last thing.

“I know you think you’re trying to help me, but just know that I’d _never_ deliberately hurt _you_ like this. I hope you realise that.”

X

Castiel lies with his head pillowed on Dean’s chest, breathing deeply as he allows the gentle thud, thud of Dean’s heartbeat to soothe him. In return, Dean plays with the hair on the nape of Castiel’s neck, soft fingertips bringing a smattering of goosebumps up to the surface of his skin.

They haven’t yet spoken about the King’s words from earlier that evening. Castiel is too nervous to bring it up, unable to read Dean or predict what he is thinking.

The candles have burned low by the time Dean finally breaks the silence between them.

“I gotta say, I thought things would’ve started looking up by now.”

Castiel blinks sleepily in the soft, amber light and kisses Dean’s bare chest. “It’s only been a few days. It takes a long time to plan a wedding – there’s no chance all this won’t have been resolved by then.”

“Are you sure, Cas? I mean, you know I’ll fight for us until I die but… your Dad seems pretty hell-bent on breaking us apart.”

Castiel shakes his head, refusing to believe that any of this could be permanent. “He’s letting you stay here, Dean, that must count for something. It must _mean_ something.”

Dean sighs, his chest rising and sinking heavily beneath Castiel’s cheek. “Think about it, Cas. Think about everything he said to us tonight. The obvious thing he could’ve done to separate us would’ve been to send me back to Lawrence, right? It’d make your Dad feel better but you’d hate him forever, wouldn’t you?”

Castiel nods. “I’d never forgive him.”

“Exactly, and he knows that. So, he’s keeping me here and just letting us do the hard work for him; all that stuff about me and you not being able to have a real life together because of money? He’s trying to make us doubt ourselves. He’s trying to make us be the ones to ruin our own relationship. That way, I’ll eventually be gone but you won’t hate your Dad because he’s not the one who _technically_ got rid of me, right?”

Castiel’s mouth falls open. He’s been wondering for days why his father had so graciously allowed Dean to stay in the castle when he could have quite easily thrown Dean out, but it never once occurred to him that it could have been for _this_ reason. Deliberately trying to break them apart from the inside? It’s twisted, it’s selfish, and Castiel finds himself struggling to believe that his father could even be capable of that.

“Oh, my _God_ ,” Castiel finally breathes, chest tight. “Do you really think that’s what he’s doing?”

“I’m not saying that’s _definitely_ what he’s doing but… it kinda makes sense, doesn’t it?”

Castiel huffs again, and this time it’s laced with indignation. “Why does everyone seem to think they have more of a say in our relationship than _we_ do?! It’s ridiculous, and it’s unfair!”

He leans up so he can look into Dean’s eyes, brow creased with self-righteous anger. He presses a hard kiss to Dean’s lips before saying firmly, “We’re not going to let them win, okay? We’re not going to let their ridiculous mind games break us up. We’re strong enough to get through this. Aren’t we?”

A smirk tugs at the corners of Dean’s mouth, brightening his face in the dim glow of the candlelight and filling Castiel with warmth. “Hell yeah, we are.”

They kiss once more before Castiel flops back down onto Dean’s chest, saying with narrowed eyes, “If they want to play games, then we can do it right back.”

Everyone can plant those little seeds of doubt in Castiel and Dean’s minds all they want, but Castiel will be damned if he lets any of them grow.

X

A new confidence has been instilled within Castiel after the late night talk with Dean, filling him with the determination he needs to fight fire with fire and do something he _knows_ will piss everybody off.

Attend the next council meeting.

There’s nothing technically _wrong_ with what he’s doing; after all, his father had invited him back during Michael’s birthday party and nobody has actually disinvited him since this whole debacle began. Speaking in the council is important to Castiel, and he won’t allow his rights and opinions to be pushed aside simply because the other council members disapprove of his personal, romantic relationship.

Castiel purposely waits until he is five minutes late for the meeting before pushing open the door, just to ensure his entrance is dramatic enough. With a smirk playing around his lips, he carries his papers over to the round table the council are sat at and plops down on one of the seats, thoroughly enjoying the matching expressions of stunned resentment that are directed towards him.

“I apologise for my tardiness,” Castiel says primly. “But I lost track of time while I was kissing my servant.”

The council exchange baffled looks before the King finally manages to say, “Castiel, what do you think you’re doing here?”

“You invited me back to participate in council meetings again, remember?”

His father splutters. “Yes, but I would’ve thought that given recent events you would have had enough common sense to not attend!”

“You’re right,” Castiel sighs, looking down at his papers with an air of (fake) embarrassment. “Perhaps I wasn’t thinking straight. Maybe my brain has turned to mush from all the sex I’ve been having recently.”

He contains a snigger at the soft squawks that come from the mouths of the council members, relishing in the momentary power he feels. After the way he’s been treated this week, he thinks he deserves to make them squirm this way.

“Castiel, that is completely inappropriate!” The King scolds, cheeks red. “I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

“Yes, we have no interest in having an attention-seeking _whore_ on our council,” Raphael spits.

“ _Hey_ ,” the King snaps, turning his head sharply to Raphael and glaring. “Call my kid another name and I’ll ask _you_ to leave as well.”

“Okay, _look_ ,” Castiel interrupts. “Fine, I’m being inappropriate, but I didn’t just come here to irritate you. Being able to talk in these meetings is important to me, and I shouldn’t be denied it just because we’re having a disagreement about my personal life.”

His father sighs. “Fine. Well, you could leave your notes here and we’ll discuss them –”

“No, I’d like to be here to discuss them myself.”

After a moment of quiet deliberation, Castiel’s father rubs a hand over his face and sighs again. “Okay. Fine. You can stay for the council meetings, as long as you promise to be civil.”

“Only as long as you promise to do the same thing.”

"That seems fair."

Castiel catches Uriel's exasperated expression out of the corner of his eye. Before Castiel can make a scathing comment, Uriel beats him to it and scoffs, "Of course, the spoilt omega gets his way, as always. And to think, we were under the impression that he was finally being put in his place."

The King scowls. "Be quiet, Uriel. Castiel's private life does not have a place in these meetings."

Castiel's eyes narrow. Once again, he's presented with another example of the council pulling his father's strings like a puppet. He imagines their toxic attitudes and old-fashioned opinions have played a strong part in his father's actions of late, and it is highly likely that his arranged marriage is an idea put forward by them, too.

It's endlessly frustrating, that these people still have such a control over his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good evening, honey bees! (I know, I'm another week late I'm sorry don't look at me)
> 
> So I'm estimating this fic to be between 25 and 30 chapters (though that may change). I'm starting to think about what fic I'm going to write when this one is all finished, and if you guys have any ideas I'd love to hear them. I'll almost definitely write an AU and it'll likely be shorter than this one. I was kind of toying with the idea of a psych ward AU or something, but I'd have to do a lot of research and I'm not sure how accurate it'd be. Let me know what you think!
> 
> [Link to my tumblr](http://wingit-spn.tumblr.com/)


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The King organises for Castiel to meet some potential husbands.

Castiel finds himself wondering over the next couple of days if some sort of progress has been made after his father allowed him back on the council. Surely it must count for something, that his father still respects him enough to let him have his say in those meetings? Especially since certain other members of the council had been indisputably _vocal_ in their disdain for having him back.

If his father is willing to listen to Castiel’s political opinions, does this mean he is willing to listen to Castiel’s _other_ opinions as well?

Either way, Castiel is not being completely silenced anymore, and he’s taking that as a good sign.

It is a shame that the progress being made with his father does not also apply to Gabriel, who is still uncharacteristically, deafeningly quiet. It’s as though he’s away on another long trip but much worse; he’s living under the same roof, he’s within walking distance but Castiel just can’t reach him. In fact, he barely even sees him anymore, and he’s willing to bet that Gabriel is avoiding him on purpose.

Castiel misses his brother desperately. He has left Gabriel alone though; despite how argumentative he’s been with everyone else Castiel just can’t bring himself to speak that way to Gabriel. He’s hoping that with time, Gabriel will come back to him himself.

A dreary Wednesday morning finds Castiel and Dean in the library, sitting together at a table as Dean writes his latest letter to Sam and his family. Sam has of course been updated on all of the recent events, and he has been trying to offer advice, but it’s a little hard to have a real discussion with him given the ten day communication delay each time.

Sam has questioned why marrying a servant is even such a big deal, aside from the poor reputation it causes.

It’s not just a matter of reputation, Castiel had explained, but a matter of law. As an omega prince he is required to marry someone with an appropriate title; it’s all about continuing family lines and making connections. For example, his father will likely marry Castiel off to a royal family who he needs to form a stronger relationship with, in order to trade or gain something. Castiel's incredibly rare status as a male omega means that marrying someone with as low a status as Dean's just wouldn't be 'worth' it, so to speak.

Marriage is a business, in the north.

As Dean writes, Castiel doodles on a piece of paper and presses the occasional kiss to Dean’s shoulder. He finds himself clinging to Dean more and more these days; since he stopped speaking to his family Dean is really all he has, apart from Balthazar who Castiel sees around once a week. It can get a little lonely, sometimes.

When he gets to the end of his page, Dean drops his pen with a sigh and flexes his hand a couple of times before putting the same arm around Castiel. Castiel smiles to himself as he edges closer, stealing some of Dean’s body heat to protect himself from the slight chill in the air.

Castiel feels Dean’s hand continue to open and close against his waist, so he reaches down to squeeze it still.

“It aches,” Dean complains.

“‘Cause you’re not used to using these muscles,” Castiel says, massaging between the knuckles with his thumb.

Dean turns his attention to the paper Castiel had been drawing on, and picks it up with his other hand to take a better look.

“What in God’s name is this?”

Castiel snorts in amusement. “It’s meant to be you.”

“Is it? Are you sure?”

“What’s wrong with it?”

“Well, for starters, why do I have a sock on my face?”

“Oh, that’s meant to be your nose. I got a little carried away.”

Dean drops the paper to pinch his own nose. “You’re gonna give me a complex.”

Castiel leans up to push Dean’s hand away and kiss his nose before giving it a playful flick. Dean retaliates by tickling Castiel down his side and making him shudder and laugh, pushing the offending hand away from him as they fall into each other and kiss. Things have been so tense and serious for them lately; it’s reassuring to know that the two of them can still joke around and have fun together.

One kiss turns into several, and Castiel sighs against Dean’s mouth as he loses himself in the sensation of feeling _wanted_. Castiel never thought that he’d ever be able to have this; he’d always thought he’d be sent off straight into an arranged, loveless marriage and whilst he’s sure he’d eventually befriend his husband, there wouldn’t be any sort of romantic feelings there. Castiel had allowed himself to believe that he’d never experience an affectionate, passionate relationship like the one he has with Dean, and he finds himself treasuring every last touch and embrace they share.

He cups Dean’s face and urges him closer. It’s moments like these when Castiel remembers just how lucky he is.

“ _Ahem_.”

The awkward sound of somebody clearing their throat makes Castiel jump away from Dean, surprised at the interruption but certainly not ashamed of what he’s been caught doing this time.

It’s Castiel’s father, again. His eyes flicker between the two of them before settling on Castiel.

The hope that Castiel had felt during the last council meeting regarding his father’s eventual acceptance of him has not yet diminished. Castiel chances a small smile up at him.

The smile isn’t returned. “Castiel, make sure you’re available tomorrow afternoon. I’ve arranged for some potential husbands to come and meet you. Ensure you’re dressed suitably.”

Castiel’s face drops, along with his stomach. So much for making progress.

Dean has tensed up beside him, and Castiel can feel the muscles in the arm still wrapped around his waist twitching beneath the skin. Castiel strokes a hand down Dean’s leg and looks back up at his father.

“Fine.”

His father’s eyebrows raise, as though he had been expecting a response much more reluctant. “Really?”

“Yes. If I really have to, I can meet these alphas.”

“Good. Right.” His father looks a little lost for words; clearly he’d prepared for another verbal battle. “Okay, then.”

He turns to leave, and is halfway to the door when Castiel calls out, “I just can’t guarantee they’ll like me very much.”

With a heavy sigh, his father spins around to face him again. “Castiel, don’t you dare be rude to these people. None of what’s going on is their fault.”

“I know. But if you think I’m just gonna lie back and do nothing about this then you’re wrong.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt that,” his father says with a sharp roll of his eyes.

“Good. As long as we’re on the same page.”

“I really wouldn’t go that far.” His father heads towards the door again, casting back, “One o’clock tomorrow, be ready in the ground floor drawing room.”

“Can’t wait,” Castiel deadpans, tone heavy with sarcasm.

The King turns the handle, and just as he’s about to leave he looks over his shoulder and addresses Dean directly. “Dean, you’ll attend as well. Perhaps seeing what you’re up against will help you realise the futility of this little relationship.”

He closes the door behind him with a thud, leaving a thick layer of discomfort in the air. Castiel glances up at Dean, breath trapped in his lungs as he tries to gage Dean’s reaction to his father’s parting comment.

Dean’s got that sad little crease between his eyebrows again, the one he gets when he seems to be feeling insecure. Castiel hates seeing him like this. In his eyes, Dean is far too perfect to doubt himself this way.

He plants a sweet kiss on Dean's cheek. “Just ignore him, my love.”

“Can you imagine the kinds of money-loaded, silk-wearing highbrows who are gonna turn up tomorrow?”

“Mhm. All pompous and boring, I’m sure.”

Dean grumbles in a sour tone, “Yeah, but at least all of them could buy you a fancy house and stuff.”

“Dean, for the last time, one of these alphas could buy me an entire palace and a diamond as big as my head but I still wouldn’t want them the way I want you.”

Dean sighs, staring down at his lap. “Yeah, I know. It’s just a lot to compete with, that’s all.”

“It’s not a competition. There’s not even anyone else in the running.”

Castiel inches closer to pepper soft kisses up Dean’s neck. Dean relaxes into him, the tension slowly but surely draining from his body as he responds to Castiel’s mouth and begins to press his own kisses down the side of Castiel’s face.

Castiel pulls away just long enough to murmur in Dean’s ear, “Wanna go back to bed? Let me show you how much I want you.”

Dean hums softly, the deep rumble of his voice sending a rush of tingles up Castiel’s spine. He captures Castiel’s lips in an ardent kiss before smirking, “What are we waiting for?”

X

The following afternoon at one o’clock on the dot, Castiel takes his seat at the head of the drawing room, wearing his finest garments and a deep scowl. Meeting all of these ‘highbrows’, as Dean had called them, is certainly not how he’d wanted to spend his afternoon and he finds himself imagining what better things he could be doing with his time instead.

Castiel’s father is sat just to his left and Dean stands to his right. Castiel can’t help glancing sideways at Dean whenever he has the chance just for reassurance, though whether it’s reassurance for Dean or himself, he isn’t sure.

“So,” Castiel’s father starts, speaking for the first time since Castiel entered the room. “They’re going to come in one at a time, they’ll tell you who they are and where they’re from. Feel free to talk to them, ask them questions.”

Castiel nods once. “Excellent.”

“ _Within reason_ ,” his father emphasises. “I know you’ll have objections but wait until they’re all gone so we can discuss in private.”

Castiel rolls his eyes. “Fine.”

His father turns away to address one of the guards, asking them to send for the first alpha. Castiel chances another peek to his right.

Dean looks on edge. His hands are clasped tightly behind his back and even from Castiel’s distance, he can see just how clenched Dean’s jaw is. Castiel knows how much Dean hates the idea of another alpha coming along and ruining what they have, but if Castiel is perfectly honest, he’s not feeling worried at all. He still firmly believes that no marriage is actually going to take place; this is all just standard procedure and a scare tactic.

None of this will ever get as far as a real wedding, so Castiel is not going to let anything faze him today.

The grand entrance doors are opened by two more guards at the far end of the room, and who Castiel can assume is the first alpha of the bunch marches in. Castiel forces himself to sit up a little straighter and at least make a good impression on this stranger; whilst he is less than happy to be meeting this person, he doesn’t want to gain a reputation as being unnecessarily rude.

The alpha walks down the centre of the room and stops just before the steps that lead up to where Castiel and his father sit. As expected, Castiel doesn’t recognise this alpha, though he doubts he’ll know who any of them are.

The alpha bows before him, speaking only when he has straightened back up. “Prince Castiel. Your Highness. Wow, it’s a pleasure to be in your company, you are… very beautiful.”

Castiel forms a tight smile, saying through gritted teeth, “Thank you.”

“My name is Nathaniel, born and bred right here in Aelam. You’re familiar with my Aunt Naomi; I believe you sometimes sit on the council with her.”

“Ah, yes.” An alpha with a relation to a council member, not exactly promising. Castiel struggles to find something nice to say about it. “What a… pleasant connection.”

A smile grows on Nathaniel’s face, and he continues excitedly, “I do have a rather large inheritance promised to me when the time comes, so I’ll be able to provide for you very comfortably. My inheritance will also include my grandparents’ old castle, so you’d have plenty of space to raise all of the children in.”

Castiel’s eyebrows raise, and he pauses for a long moment before saying carefully, “You assume I want lots of children?”

Nathaniel looks confused, smile dropping as his forehead creases. “Well, yes… you’re an omega, aren’t you?”

Castiel would laugh if he wasn’t quite so disgusted that this alpha is considered a more suitable husband for him than Dean is. He stares down at Nathaniel with a blank expression, just long enough to make Nathaniel shift and rub the back of his neck before putting him out of his misery.

“Well, thank you for paying us a delightful visit. Have a safe journey home.”

Nathaniel’s eyes move from Castiel to the King, shocked to be dismissed so quickly. The King doesn’t say a word and neither does Castiel, so Nathaniel finally turns around and heads back towards the doors with a decidedly less enthusiastic walk this time.

When the guards shut the door behind him, Castiel looks at his father with a single raised eyebrow but doesn’t say a word.

His father rolls his eyes. “Granted, he wasn’t the best one to start with. I couldn’t refuse Naomi’s nephew though, could I?”

Castiel returns his gaze to the doors straight ahead of him. All he says is, “Dean would never force me to have too many children.”

His father says nothing. Instead, he just gestures for the guards to let in the next alpha.

The next person who turns up is a blonde, skinny alpha named Samandriel. He’s rather soft spoken, almost shy, and Castiel can’t help but wonder if he is really an alpha at all (since alphas are usually quite the opposite). Samandriel gives them a stuttered explanation of where he is from and what he likes to do with his time, without even making real eye contact with Castiel once.

“It was really lovely to meet you, Your Highness,” Samandriel says as he’s about to leave, sounding just as nervous as he did when he first arrived. “Thank you for taking the time to talk with me. I hope you have a wonderful day.”

Castiel watches him leave with a bemused smile. Clearly his father has deliberately selected alphas like Samandriel because he knows that they will be gentle and treat Castiel with lots of respect. That’s all very sweet but… they’re just so _boring_. Castiel would probably eat poor Samandriel alive. He needs somebody like Dean, who is not only a loving partner but also exciting and passionate.

Unsurprisingly, the next three alphas who arrive are all on the timid side, though perhaps not quite as much as Samandriel had been. They all seem like nice enough people, of course, but come _on_. Castiel is already bored to tears just from a few short conversations, how on Earth would he survive being _married_ to one of them?

Whilst they are waiting for the next alpha, Castiel turns to Dean and rolls his eyes, a silent conversation starter. Dean no longer looks quite so tense, and he smirks ever so slightly before winking at Castiel. It makes Castiel blush, sending a little lightning bolt up his spine as his stomach flips. He looks down at his lap to hide his smile. Dean is endlessly sexy, and his level of charm is really just downright unfair when Castiel is surrounded by people and needs to stay in control of his actions.

The next alpha to arrive has an air of confidence about him that the previous few had lacked. He heads up to where Castiel sits in what he can only describe as a swagger, and when he reaches the steps, he does what none of the other alphas did and continues walking right up them.

“Your Highness,” he says, taking hold of Castiel’s hand and kissing the back of it.

Castiel doesn’t have time to respond before the alpha is swiftly pushed backwards by Dean. Castiel smiles up at his lover as Dean grips the alpha’s collar and drags him back down the stairs, forcing him to stand a suitable distance away.

“Don’t ever touch the prince unless he gives you permission, which he _won’t_ ,” Dean snarls, marching back over to Castiel and standing much closer to him that he had been before.

“Thank you, Dean,” Castiel murmurs as the alpha straightens his clothes and grumbles to himself for a moment.

“Jeez,” the alpha grouses. “Just trying to show some gentlemanly behaviour here.”

“I apologise,” the King says with a warning glance over at Dean. “Our guards are very… vigilant. Now, what was your name again?”

“Ion. I’m the Lord of Rosewall, just east of here.”

“Nice to meet you, Ion,” Castiel says, plastering on the usual half smile and pretending to look interested.

“You’re very beautiful, Your Highness,” Ion grins. “Even more gorgeous than I’d imagined.”

Castiel tries not to wince. “Um, thank you.”

Ion only continues, and from the smirk on his face, Castiel doesn’t think he’s going to like what he’s going to say. “To be honest, I can think of no one better to marry me and have my babies. I need something pretty to look at while I’m working, you know?”

Dean releases a sharp exhale through his nose. Castiel himself simply rolls his eyes and says, “How very flattering.”

“Oh, I’ll flatter you, alright. With a face that pretty, I’d never let you leave the bedroom. You wouldn’t even need to own clothes.”

Both Dean and Castiel’s father fly into rages. Dean launches forward and runs at Ion, gripping his arm and twisting it behind his back until it audibly clicks. Ion gasps out in pain, though he is completely ignored as Dean begins to drag him towards the door.

Castiel’s father is also on his feet, and he shouts after Ion, “Consider yourself uninvited from any and all events that take place within my kingdom! Castiel is pure and virginal; he should _not_ be listening to such filth!”

As Dean forces Ion out, Castiel can’t help smirking at his father’s words and commenting, “Oh Daddy, you and I both know I’m far from virginal at this point.”

His father sighs as he collapses back down on his seat. “Well, _he_ certainly didn’t need to know that, did he?”

“He was a wonderful find, by the way. What a lovely potential husband.”

“I apologise for what he said. I wouldn’t have invited him if I’d known he’d be so lewd.”

Castiel brushes it off with a wave of his hand. “S’fine.”

“There’s still one more alpha to come in.”

“Okay. Let’s get this over with.”

When Dean returns, his expression is trained into a dark glower. Castiel’s chest aches at the sight of Dean’s clenched fists and tight posture; he longs to go over and comfort him but he can’t do that here, not when there are so many strangers around today.

So he just gives Dean a small, purposeful smile, hoping that it’s enough to tide him over until they can be alone.

The King signals for the final alpha. This one is dark-haired, slim like most of the others had been, and he’s smiling.

“Hello, Your Highness,” he says when he reaches the steps before Castiel’s seat. “It’s very nice to meet you. My name is Inias.”

“Hello,” Castiel responds pleasantly.

His father chimes in. “Inias is the Lord of Greypine. He’s actually been doing quite a bit of work with the homeless omegas in his town.”

“Oh!” Castiel says, genuinely interested for the first time this afternoon. “What kind of work?”

“I try to find homes for as many omegas as possible,” Inias explains. “Even if I can’t do that, I can at least make sure they have food and warm clothes.”

“That’s really nice of you,” Castiel smiles. “Is this something you do by yourself?”

“I work with a group, and we’re always trying to recruit more people. We’ll help more omegas that way, right?”

“Right,” Castiel nods. “Well, it makes me very happy to hear that omegas are being supported in other towns, too.”

“Yes, we're very glad for all of the work that you do. Thank you for coming in, Inias,” the King smiles.

“Thank you for inviting me, Your Majesty. Your Highness,” Inias responds.

As he is shown away by the guard, Castiel’s father turns to him with what looks to be a somewhat hopeful smile.

“Well, you seemed to warm a bit more to him compared to the others,” he urges.

Castiel can’t help rolling his eyes. “I was just interested in the work he does. Doesn’t mean I’m spreading my legs for him.”

The smile drops from his father’s face. “Castiel, don’t be vulgar.”

His father gets up and walks away, and Castiel immediately takes the chance to escape by leaping up and hurrying over to Dean.

“C’mon, let’s get out of here,” he says, taking hold of Dean’s hand and urging him to the side door leading out into the corridor. He’s desperate to finally be alone with Dean after such a tedious time in the drawing room, and it hurts his heart that he still has to wait until it’s the ‘appropriate place’ for him to show any kind of affection for his lover.

When they get out into the corridor, Dean’s heavy sigh is enough to give Castiel some idea of how he’s feeling.

“Are you okay?” Castiel asks, placing his hands on Dean’s stomach and sliding them up to his chest.

“That was hard work out there. That one pervert really pissed me off.”

"Yeah, I know. He was vile, but it doesn't mean anything. We're never going to see him again, are we?"

"Well, no, but... it just makes me worry. If I get this worked up just because of some random alpha making a stupid comment, what's it gonna be like when you get set up to _marry_ one of them?"

"There's not going to be wedding, Dean," Castiel says firmly. He leans up on his tiptoes and takes hold of Dean's chin to bring him down for a soft kiss. "There just won't be."

Dean brings his hands up to Castiel's waist, squeezing once before stroking the skin with smooth brushes of his thumbs. "You weren't really interested in that last alpha there, were you?"

" _No_ , of course not. Just because I asked a few questions about his work does not mean that wedding bells are already chiming."

Dean sighs. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm just being stupid. It's not like you're going to be whisked away to get married tomorrow, is it?"

"I'm not going to be whisked away at _all_." Castiel rests his head against Dean's shoulder, tightening his hold on Dean's shirt and breathing in his soothing scent. "I'm not getting married. It’s not going to get that far.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know when you can just feel a stinking cold coming on? Yeah, it's gonna be a fun week.
> 
> Hope you're all good! Leave a comment to let me know what y'all think, as always.
> 
> [Link to my tumblr](http://wingit-spn.tumblr.com/)


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel and Dean have a run in with someone who has been avoiding them lately.

Just as Castiel thought, nothing more is said about his potential ‘husband’ over the next week and a half. He had been right to be unafraid; it had all simply been a scare tactic that isn’t showing any signs of progression. He hopes that by now his father has realised that threatening Castiel with an arranged marriage isn’t going to make him admit that his relationship with Dean is wrong, and he imagines that his father and the council will now be attempting to come up with another ploy to break them up instead.

Castiel feels as though a small weight has been lifted from his shoulders. He’d always known his father wouldn’t actually force him into an unwanted marriage. Despite how angry he currently is with Castiel, Castiel knows that his father would never do something to make him unhappy for the rest of his life.

With each passing day, Dean’s spirits perk up as well. A hope has been instilled in the both of them; that maybe all of these disputes really will eventually blow over and they’ll finally be free to be happy together. After a tense period of arguments and uncertainty with everyone, the two of them are returning to how they had been at the very beginning of their relationship, constantly flirting and making love frequently.

They don’t even bother to light the fire in the small drawing room that they are occupying one lazy afternoon. It’s a rather mild day despite the season, and Castiel knows that the body heat Dean and he share will do a fine job of keeping them warm enough for the time being.

Castiel drapes himself over Dean where he lies on one of the couches, planting a smacking kiss on his protector’s lips and pulling away again with a beam.

Dean responds with his own, slightly bemused smile. “What’s got you in such a good mood?”

Castiel plays with the buttons on Dean’s shirt, his smile still pulling at his lips as he says, “Just been thinking about how glad I am that I’ve still got you, and that we’re lying here together now. I have to admit, when my father caught us in bed all those weeks ago I didn’t think we’d make it this far.”

“I didn’t think I’d even _live_ this long.”

Castiel chuckles. “That _never_ would’ve happened. I know my father is mad about us but he wouldn’t resort to… _that_.”

“Let’s hope so, anyway.” Dean’s wandering hands travel down to the back of Castiel’s thighs and return up his spine in one tingle-inducing movement. “Are you warm enough?”

Castiel arches into the touch of Dean’s fingers with a content smile, nodding. “Mhm. ‘Cause I’m lying on top of my own personal furnace.”

Dean snorts. “Like a lizard.”

“Yeah, like a lizard.”

Castiel leans down to kiss his protector again, sighing softly against Dean’s mouth as his heart swells. Dean’s body beneath him is a solid and comforting presence, a reminder of the support he provides and that Castiel is no longer alone. He slides his fingers through Dean’s hair, tugging ever so slightly to pull a tiny groan from Dean’s lips.

“Keep doing that,” Dean murmurs in a deep, raspy voice. “And I’ll wanna take you right here, right now.”

“Well…” Castiel teases. “Why don’t you?”

“Little risky in the drawing room, don’t you think?”

Castiel’s eyes skim around the room before settling back on Dean. “There’s nobody around. We wouldn’t get caught.”

Dean’s pupils dilate, and he lets out a short, breathy laugh. “I don’t know whether to be proud or guilty about how much I’ve corrupted you.”

Castiel only beams in response, ending the conversation by pressing their lips together again. Dean wastes no time in sliding both hands down and under Castiel’s shirt, making Castiel shudder at the first warm touch of Dean’s skin against his. Granted, it’s a little irresponsible of them to be doing this in what is considered a communal room of the castle, but since everyone already thinks of them as disgraces anyway, what’s the harm in having a little fun with it?

Castiel smirks to himself. Maybe he has been corrupted by Dean.

He reaches down and wriggles his hands up under Dean’s shirt, roaming over the hard muscles of his stomach.

Dean draws in a sharp breath at the touch. “Jeez, your hands are cold.”

“Well, hurry up and warm them up, then.”

“Man, so bossy. Alright, alright, Your Highness.”

The next kiss is deeper than the others. It sends a lightning bolt through Castiel’s veins, stirring him, awakening his nerve endings. Dean continues to push at Castiel’s shirt until he’s exposed most of his back, trailing his fingertips over the skin to provoke a rapid wave of goosebumps. Castiel lets out a small moan, letting his primitive urges take over as he presses his pelvis down against Dean’s.

And he’s sure Dean would’ve returned the action, if not for the sudden interruption.

Castiel jumps at the sound of the door being shoved open, eyes darting up to the entrance to identify who has disturbed their intimate moment.

It’s Gabriel.

Castiel blinks at him, half certain he’s just an illusion or trick of the eye. He hasn’t seen Gabriel in so long; it’s disconcerting to be faced with him again so suddenly.

Gabriel is carrying a stack of papers, and wearing an expression of uneasy surprise. He obviously hadn’t planned on seeing Castiel here.

He begins to hurry back out of the room.

The chance of Gabriel vanishing just as quickly as he’d arrived forces Castiel into action, scrambling up from where he’s still lying on top of Dean. “G-Gabriel!”

“I…” Gabriel’s eyes dart from Castiel to the hallway behind him. “Wrong room. Sorry.”

Castiel falls to perch awkwardly on the edge of the couch, gripping the sleeve of Dean’s shirt for support and stammering, “Gabe, wait. Please, can we… can we…”

“I’m late for a meeting.” Gabriel’s fingers fidget with the corner of his papers. “Sorry, I… I can’t right now.”

He starts to back out of the room. Castiel’s stomach drops, and with a pleading voice he calls, “But Gabriel –”

“Castiel, I said I can’t. I’m late.” Gabriel turns to leave, casting a parting glance over his shoulder at Dean and saying, “Besides, I’d hate to… interrupt you.”

He leaves, and Castiel’s heart drops to the pit of his stomach. When Dean pulls himself upright Castiel drops his head onto his shoulder, burying his face in the fabric. Dean slides an arm around him, squeezing him tight and sighing against Castiel’s neck.

“I don’t know what to say, Cas,” he mumbles as Castiel’s eyes prickle with hot tears. He presses a kiss to Castiel’s hair, voice soft and apologetic. “I thought he’d be different.”

X

A guard calls for Castiel the following evening, interrupting both Castiel’s reading and the cuddle he’d been having with Dean.

Castiel rolls his eyes at the sound of his name being called from the other side of his bedroom door and shouts in response, “Yes?”

He hears the guard clear his throat. “The King would like a word with you in his study, as soon as you are able, Your Highness.”

Castiel groans quietly, nestling closer to Dean with petulant stubbornness. “What did my father say he wanted?”

“H-he did not give me any details.”

Dean tightens the warm arm he has wrapped around Castiel and says, “It’s fine; we’ll both go.”

Castiel nods, and then raises his voice to address the guard again. “Okay, thank you. Dean can escort me there.”

“A-actually, the King requested that Dean remains here, Your Highness.”

Castiel and Dean frown at each other. The King has never been particularly bothered about whether Dean is around during their discussions before, especially not lately. It raises a small amount of alarm within Castiel.

“Why?” Castiel asks the guard.

“My apologies… I am not sure.”

“Should I still go?” Castiel mutters, looking up at Dean with wide and unsure eyes.

Dean looks thoughtful for a moment. “Yeah, you should. I mean, it’s not the first time I’ve not been allowed in, is it?”

“I suppose.”

With a heavy sigh, Castiel forces himself up from the bed and trudges over to the door. Dean follows him over, giving him a long, parting kiss before Castiel turns the handle.

“I guess I’ll wait here, then?” Dean says with a sad smile.

Castiel nods. “I’ll try and be quick, my love.”

X

Filled with impatience, Castiel barges into the King’s study and stops in front of the desk his father is currently sitting at. “What do you want and why couldn’t Dean come with me?”

His father puts down the pen he’d been writing with and looks up at Castiel with a raised eyebrow. “Don’t be rude, Castiel. I only wanted to tell you one thing; I wasn’t planning on keeping you long.”

Castiel huffs. “Fine. What did you need to tell me?”

His father’s eyes flicker down to the chair in front of his desk before he nods his head towards it. “You can have a seat, if you want.”

“I’d rather not.”

His father sighs. “Fine, whatever. I’ve been reviewing the alphas who came in to meet you and… I think I’ve finally made a decision.”

Castiel frowns. “Regarding…?”

“Regarding your marriage. I’ve been thinking long and hard about this for almost a fortnight and I’m hoping you’ll be relatively happy with my decision. So, I’ve chosen Inias. I think he’ll make a fine husband for you.”

The information is difficult to process. It’s as though his mind has converted his father’s words into another language that Castiel can’t make any sense of. He stands rooted to the spot, brow burrowed and mouth frozen.

His father takes Castiel’s silence as a cue to continue talking. “So, as of tomorrow we can start organising the wedding. There’ll be lots to sort; invitations need to be sent out, menus planned, you’ll need your garments fitted –”

Castiel’s brain finally catches up with the conversation, and then it kicks into overdrive. “Wait, _what_?”

The King stops rabbiting about wedding planning, a crease forming between his eyebrows. “Castiel, this shouldn’t be a surprise. You knew I was finding a husband for you. You met Inias yourself, and I felt as though you got on best with him.”

“B-but… I…”

Panic rises up Castiel’s throat, forming a lump there as his heart skips several beats.

“I… I didn’t think you were _serious_!”

His father gives him an incredulous look. “Castiel, we’ve had many discussions about your marriage, I’ve consulted the council about it and asked for their opinion, we’ve even invited alphas in to meet you. Do you think I went to all of that effort just to… upset you?”

“Well…” Castiel flusters, eyes darting around the room as if they’ll find some kind of advice or support. “Kind of, yes!”

His father shakes his head in disbelief. “If that’s really true then you’re more naïve than I thought you were, Castiel. You can go to bed now, there’s no point in us talking about wedding arrangements tonight since nothing has been organised yet.”

This would usually be the point when Castiel responds with some kind of scathing comment, something to defend Dean and himself with, something to make sure his father knows that Castiel is not going to be pushed around this way. He opens his mouth to speak.

But no words come out.

He blinks at his father, mouth still agape, as if he’s waiting for him to change his mind or even say that he had just been joking. But his father’s expression remains stoic.

Castiel stands there until he can’t bear to look at his father’s firm, unrecognisable eyes for a second longer. It finally wakes up his body and he turns to stumble from the room, barely aware of his surroundings as he drifts back to his bedroom.

His father has chosen a husband for him. He can’t quite believe it. Castiel has spent weeks telling himself that this marriage is nothing but a ploy to frighten him. It had been the thing that comforted him and kept him confident, being aware of what his father and the council were trying to do.

But now he knows. This isn’t just a scare tactic anymore. This is _real_.

Castiel doesn’t even realise he’s reached his bedroom until Dean is stood in front of him, taking hold of his hands and frowning at him with earnest, concerned eyes. “Cas, are you okay? What did he say?”

Castiel cannot hold the eye contact, eyes dropping to stare straight ahead at a button on Dean’s shirt instead. “He’s picked out a husband for me.”

Dean’s hands in Castiel’s tighten, knuckles paling as the blood rushes away from them. “ _What?”_

Castiel takes a few seconds to answer, swallowing heavily before stammering, “He chose Inias. Tomorrow he’s going to start planning my wedding.”

X

They both cry for a long time that night. They’ve barely spoken since Castiel returned from his father’s study, clinging to each other in silence as they lose themselves in their own minds. They manage to hold on until night has fallen, when they’ve gotten into bed and their faces are illuminated only by a solitary candle on the table beside them.

A sniffle from Dean’s side of the bed captures Castiel’s attention, and he turns to see a tear drip down his protector’s face. The sight of such a small yet overwhelmingly vulnerable display finally brings Castiel crashing back down to Earth. The haziness that had enveloped his mind since leaving the study is replaced with a heavy sadness, so consuming and dense that he feels he could drown in it.

A hiccupping sob wracks his body, hurting his chest as he gives himself over to the sadness after so long of fighting against it. Dean pulls him closer, encircling him with strong arms that usually provide Castiel with so much warmth and comfort… but tonight, it doesn’t feel like enough. Castiel is still scared, he’s still cold, and his father is still out there organising Castiel’s future with another man.

Each one of Dean’s tears lands upon Castiel’s cheek, mixing in with his own before they’re replaced by a fresh stream. They don’t whisper words of comfort to each other like they usually do. They don’t trade soft and promising kisses, and they don’t use physical intimacy to show how much they love each other. Castiel doesn’t think he has the energy to.

It’s starting to feel as though their days together are numbered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well look whose come crawling back (me). Sorry about the impromptu absence. Reality kicked me in the stomach hard and despite how many times you try and tell yourself that you’re fine, sometimes that’s not always enough. But I’ve given myself a much needed break and now we’re back on track with a brand new chapter (and a touch of angst).
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoy. 
> 
> And I know this chapter is a little shorter than usual but bear with me, I’m just getting back into the swing of things. 
> 
> [Link to my tumblr](http://wingit-spn.tumblr.com/)
> 
> (Also I'm just replying to the lovely comments on the last chapter now, so sorry it's taken me so long <3)


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel has an awkward get-together with his husband-to-be, Inias. 
> 
> WARNING for some vile and threatening language from a certain character.

An aching and hollow misery has made itself at home deep within Castiel’s bones since his father’s announcement of the impending marriage to Inias. It weighs him down like a ton of bricks, leaving him with barely enough energy to talk or even get out of bed. That naïve optimism he’d been carrying has long gone, taking most of his motivation with it.

It hurts now when Dean tells him that he loves him. Those words that once brought Castiel so much joy and comfort now serves only as a reminder of everything he wants but cannot have. He always responds with a weak smile and a murmured ‘I love you, too’ but saying it aloud just strips away another layer of his strength, another ounce of his fight.

The desolateness of their situation manages to delay Castiel’s heat by almost a week. Castiel isn’t a doctor but he imagines his elevated stress combined with a considerable lack of movement has slowed his body right down, because even his appetite has near enough vanished as well. Castiel knows he should be taking care of himself better but his body is the least of his worries right now.

But eventually, his heat catches up with him and he’s left to cope with it mostly alone whilst Dean stands just outside of their bedroom door, guarding him.

In many cases, this heat is the easiest one yet. Without the pressurising presence of his father, his visiting brothers or the maids, Castiel can give himself the release he needs to ease the cramps and calm the hormones raging in his blood. The physical pain that used to accompany his heat has gone now, though it’s difficult to appreciate that whilst Castiel’s mind is so completely consumed by a cloud black enough to rival the ones in the winter sky.

Dean checks on him every hour, though he doesn’t stay for long. Whilst he has had a lot of experience in resisting unfamiliar omegas in heat, he’s never been around the one who he’s in love with. He’d admitted he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to keep his head, so they’d agreed for Castiel to remain alone.

And as it turns out, that means completely, utterly alone.

Not a single member of Castiel’s family comes to check on him during his two days bedbound. Castiel had assumed that despite the tension still simmering between them, they would have at least pushed their differences aside just to make sure he’s coping because they _know_ just how much he despises his heats… but none of them do.

Every time Dean comes back, Castiel asks him if anyone has turned up to see him yet. The shake of Dean’s head hardly comes as a surprise after the fifth time, but each one cuts Castiel deeper than a knife. He only answers Dean with a small sob before collapsing back onto his pillows, and Dean will kiss him and stroke his hair until the primitive calls of his body forces him back outside.

It’s a very nasty wake-up call for Castiel, realising that his family aren’t the rocks of support he’d always thought they were.

X

A day or two after Castiel’s heat ends, a guard arrives at his bedroom door mid-morning with a message from his father for Castiel to be dressed and ready in the dining room within an hour. When Castiel had asked for a reason why, the guard hadn’t been able to provide one.

Castiel had used most of his energy just to roll out of bed, throwing on the closest clothes he could find regardless of whether they matched or looked vaguely presentable.

They arrive in the dining room a short while later and Castiel, already wiped out from the walk downstairs, immediately collapses onto one of the chairs. Two places have been set at the table for what looks like tea and a late breakfast, though there is no indication as to who the place settings are for.

They are given the answer when Castiel’s father arrives at the dining room. Castiel’s eyes make a quick glance up to him before falling back down to his lap, taking note of his father’s surprisingly hesitant demeanour but choosing not to say anything about it.

“I, um…” his father begins, clearing his throat. “I invited Inias over to see you. I thought it might help if you two got to know each other a bit.”

Castiel doesn’t say a word. He barely even moves an inch.

“Castiel?” His father’s voice is nervous. “Inias is a nice man. If you’d just give him a chance…”

Castiel still doesn’t provide any indication that he’d been listening, not even able to look his father in the eye.

Castiel been expecting a scolding or perhaps another lecture on not being rude, so he can’t help feeling surprised when his father says, “Castiel, have you been eating? You look… pale.”

Whilst his interest is piqued, he doesn’t respond. No, of course he hasn’t been eating, not since being told the love of his life will be ripped from him when he’s forced into a marriage with somebody else. But he doesn’t want to tell his father that; he doesn’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he’s finally won.

His father tries to speak again, “H-honey –”

He’s interrupted by a knock at the door. A guard reaches for the handle and Inias walks in, looking obnoxiously cheerful.

“Good morning, Your Highness,” he smiles, heading over to Castiel to take hold of his hand and plant a kiss on the back of it.

“Hello,” Castiel mumbles as Inias sits down next to him, voice hoarse after many days of silence.

A couple of maids arrive with tea and breakfast from the kitchen, prompting the King and the guard to leave. Dean stays exactly where he is until the guard places a firm hand on his shoulder, directing him out towards the door.

Castiel catches Dean’s eye before he’s forced out. He’s never seen his protector look so _lost_ , and it breaks Castiel’s heart. His father, and nobody else for that matter, has the right to make Dean look like that. The sight of him ignites a little flicker of fire within Castiel’s chest, boiling his blood just enough to push a thin layer of anger to the surface of his emotions.

Inias doesn’t seem to notice Castiel’s unhappiness as he begins to chatter away about this and that, voice far too perky and grating for Castiel’s liking.

Castiel simply stares at Inias’ profile, evaluating him as he pours tea for the both of them. Inias eventually notices him, and his cheeks tinge pink.

“Have I got something on my face?” he chuckles.

As much as Castiel wants to be pleasant, he can’t just sit here and chat with Inias as though everything is normal. Inias has the right to know what is going on, and it doesn’t look as though anybody else is going to be the one to tell him.

“Look, Inias,” Castiel starts. “You seem like a very nice person. You’re very happy and smiley, and you’re doing great work helping omegas. But we’re not going to get married.”

Inias pauses with a forkful of scrambled eggs halfway up to his mouth. “Oh. B-but your father said –”

“I don’t care what he said. It’s my life and my choice, and unfortunately I don’t want to marry you.”

“O-oh. Did I… do something wrong?”

Castiel feels a little stab of guilt, and rushes to say, “No, no, nothing like that. The truth is, I fell in love with someone who I probably should’ve have, my father found out, and now he’s punishing me by assigning someone else for me to marry instead.”

Inias frowns, looking deep in thought. “I did think it was a little odd for an omega with your title to be marrying so young.”

Castiel nods. “It’s just a way to separate me from the person I love. I’m sorry you’ve got caught up in it all.”

“Why are you not allowed to be with this person? Are they a beta? Are they… another omega?”

Castiel tries to ignore the subtle hint of abhorrence in Inias’ voice at that last question. That’s a debate he doesn’t need to get into right now. “No, he’s an alpha.”

“Oh. So what’s the problem?”

Castiel hesitates, not wanting to go into details with Inias and certainly not wanting to reveal Dean’s identify just for the sake of their own privacy. “It’s complicated.”

“Why?”

Castiel rolls his eyes. “You ask a lot of questions.”

“Sorry, this is just… this wasn’t what I expected.”

They both sit in what can only be described as an awkward silence for a several, long minutes. Castiel lets Inias sit and think; he’s sure his revelation is a bit of a strange one and Inias will need some time to adjust.

“So does this mean you’re not a virgin?” Inias finally bursts out.

Castiel glares at him. If that’s the only burning question he has about this then he must be just as simple as Castiel thought he was. “I hardly think that’s an appropriate thing to ask me.”

“Well, yes I know that, but if I’m going to be your husband I think I have the right to know. So, are you or not?”

Castiel huffs. He dislikes speaking about his personal life but of all the things Inias could ask, this is a fairly easy one to answer. “No. I’m not a virgin.”

Inias falls quiet again for a moment before muttering, “I can’t believe I wasn’t told that before this marriage was arranged.”

Castiel rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I’m damaged goods, I know.”

Inias looks sideways at him with an incredulous expression. “You’re not like any omega I’ve met before. I’m… a little scared of you, to tell you the truth.”

“Yeah, that’s exactly how I want my husband to feel about me,” Castiel can’t help biting, tone heavy with sarcasm.

The silence returns. Castiel sighs as he wraps his hand around the cup of tea that had been poured for him, using it as a source of warmth rather than drinking from it.

“So,” Castiel finally says. “I’m sorry again, but this marriage just isn’t going to happen. I wish you hadn’t had your time wasted this way.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that,” Inias responds carefully.

“What do you mean?”

“This marriage wasn’t your choice, but it wasn’t mine either, you know? Our fathers decided to put us together. I’m not sure we have much of a say, do we?”

Castiel frowns at him. “So you’d be okay marrying me knowing that I’m in love with somebody else and completely miserable because they’d been taken away from me?”

“Like I said, I don’t think I’d have much power to do anything.”

Castiel rubs a hand over his face, breathing deeply in and out to suppress a groan. A small part of him had been hoping that Inias would be helpful, maybe speaking to Castiel’s father to suggest that the marriage is wrong.

But it looks as though Castiel and Dean are still very much alone in their fight.

X

The only positive thing that has managed to come out of the awkward get-together with Inias earlier that day is that it has rekindled some of Castiel’s lost fight. Inias is nice enough, but he’s mostly boring and seems to be hiding a few prejudices and old-fashioned values behind the mask of ‘omega rights promoter’. He’s not the first alpha like this who Castiel has met; there seems to be a fine line between alphas who genuinely want equality for all and alphas who only _say_ they do in an attempt to make themselves feel like a better person.

Whether that’s true about Inias or not, Castiel isn’t sure. All he knows is that he’ll be damned if he lets himself be shipped off to spend a dull and tedious life with that man.

There’s still time to fix this. Castiel doesn’t know how or what he’s going to do, but at the very least, he doesn’t feel quite so irrevocably hopeless anymore.

Dean has been relatively quiet since Inias left. They sit now in the private living room adjacent to their bedroom, Dean sitting on the couch with Castiel between his legs as he leans back against Dean’s chest. The strong arms that have encircled Castiel’s waist are warming Castiel from the inside out, his eyelids heavy as he relishes in the comfort of his lover.

Dean trails his lips over the back of Castiel’s ear and down his neck, breath searing and ticklish against Castiel’s sensitive skin.

Dean drops a few kisses on the side of Castiel’s neck before murmuring, “You know, Cas, Sam said in his last letter that…”

His voice dies off. Castiel peeks up at his profile, waiting a few seconds before gently prompting him. “What did Sam say?”

“Just that… if we needed it… there’s plenty of space for the both of us back in Lawrence.”

Castiel returns his gaze to the opposite wall, the implications of what Dean said bouncing around his mind.

Running away. It seems like the easiest solution; stealing away with a few supplies and horses in the middle of the night and simply leaving all of the chaos behind. It’d certainly solve most of their problems – Castiel definitely couldn’t be married off if he simply made himself invisible that way. And he’s also sure that Dean’s family would be very welcoming and supportive, doing their best to help Dean and he rebuild their lives there together.

But Castiel doesn’t _want_ that. He doesn’t want to deal with his problems by running and hiding from them. He doesn’t want to leave his family forever without saying a word, because even in spite of the situation he knows they’d be worried sick. He doesn’t want to start a brand new life in an unfamiliar town, not this early in his life, anyway.

If Castiel is going to fix this mess the two of them are in, it’ll be head-on and done in the right way. Running away would be a last, very desperate resort.

“I know that’d be the easiest thing for us to do, Dean,” Castiel sighs. “But I don’t think I can do that. This is still my family and my home; I don’t want to leave it all behind unless I absolutely have to. I want to solve these problems, not just run away from them.”

He feels Dean nod against his hair. “Yeah. Yeah, I get that.”

Castiel strokes a hand up and down Dean’s forearm, leaning up to kiss Dean’s cheek. “If we’ve tried our hardest and we’re still not winning, then I’ll go. I’ll do anything if it means we can be together.”

He sees the corners of Dean’s mouth tilt up. “Me too, babe.”

It prompts a smile of Castiel’s own and he shifts his body to face Dean more fully, kissing him slow and sweet. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

They trade a series of deep and loving kisses, Castiel’s heart soaring the way it always does in these precious, intimate moments. Since finding out about Inias the two of them have barely kissed at all, let alone made love, so it feels good to finally fall back into each other this way.

Castiel pulls away ever so slightly when he feels another little smile form on Dean’s face. He responds with a smile of his own, murmuring, “What?”

“Just can’t believe you’re real, sometimes. Can’t believe _this_ is real.”

Castiel’s chest tightens with emotion, eyes soft as he gazes up at Dean. “Me neither. Never thought my feelings for you would go any further than my own daydreams.”

Dean smiles again, but the quick flash of sadness in his eyes does not go unnoticed by Castiel.

“What?” he asks again, trailing his fingers down Dean’s cheek.

“I just… I hope I’m _worth_ all this for you. You’ve given up so much just to be with me…”

“You are worth the sun, the moon and the stars to me, Dean Winchester,” Castiel says firmly with a sharp poke to Dean’s chest. “I don’t regret anything I’ve given up. If my family can’t see how happy you make me then I don’t need them.”

Dean sighs, still wearing a bemused smile as he turns to gaze at the wall. “It’s a _lot_ to give up, especially for some uneducated criminal.”

Castiel frowns. “What do you mean ‘criminal’?”

Dean’s eyes flicker back to Castiel’s. “I told you about the way I used to fight when I lived out on the streets.”

“Well, yes, but you never said… you’ve been arrested before?”

Dean gives a sheepish smile. “More times than I can count.”

It raises Castiel’s eyebrows. There is a strong stigma attached to a person who has been arrested before and Castiel will admit that he has looked down upon people with a criminal record a number of times in the past. Anyone with a criminal record is assumed to be some kind of brute with no self-control or sense of morality.

But Dean isn’t a brute. He’s kind and gentle and selfless, qualities that Castiel hadn’t thought a criminal could possess. It’s yet another thing that Dean has opened Castiel’s mind to, that not everything in the world is so black and white and that sometimes good people have to do bad things just to get by.

Dean sees the surprise on Castiel’s face and goes on to explain. “Don’t get me wrong, I never hurt anybody just for the sake of hurting them. Everything I did, I did to protect Sam. But I’m not gonna lie, I did some things that I’m ashamed to admit to you.”

“No, please tell me,” Castiel says, face crumpling at the thought of Dean keeping something from him. “You don’t have to feel ashamed to tell me _anything_. I’d never judge you.”

“I don’t want you to think less of me, Cas.”

“Dean, I _won’t_. I love you, no matter what.”

Dean lets out a heavy sigh, eyes falling to his own lap. “I was a stupid kid, too proud to ask anyone for help. I thought I could look after Sam just fine all by myself. But nobody wanted to hire me ‘cause I was too young and already homeless. I stole from people’s homes and businesses. I hurt a lot of people; only ones that started on me first but still, I made sure they were on the floor and bloody and then I’d take whatever was in their pockets afterwards. I did things for people… I did things _with_ people just to be able to afford Sam’s meals for a few days. I got arrested constantly for being found in street brawls… I had the worst reputation. Nobody would go near me by the time Bobby found me. I was treated like a fuckin’ diseased, stray dog.”

Castiel’s heart has dropped to his stomach by the time Dean has finished talking, chest aching with the sympathy he feels for him. Admittedly, when Dean told him many months ago about his time on the streets Castiel hadn’t realised quite how horrific his situation had been, and many of the things Dean had just described causes a stab of sickness in his stomach.

But he still doesn’t judge Dean. He doesn’t think less of him. If anything, he thinks _more_ of him, knowing just how much he sacrificed in order to protect the only family he’d had left.

“It’s okay, Dean,” he murmurs, placing a finger under Dean’s chin and tilting his face up so he can kiss Dean’s lips. “It’s okay. I could never think less of you for doing whatever it took to make sure your brother was cared for. If anything, it just makes me love you even more.”

Dean meets Castiel’s eyes with hesitation. “Really?”

“ _Yes_.”

Dean ducks his head again but this time it’s to hide a sweet, shy smile. When he looks back up, his eyes are twinkling, face soft and bright when he says, “I love you.”

“I love you, too. So much,” Castiel beams, and he inches closer before mumbling, “Kiss me.”

Dean leans in to do just that, pushing his tongue past Castiel’s lips to kiss him deeply. He lets Dean flip them both over, laying Castiel down onto his back as their lips collide and the temperature between them rises and soars. It’s a shame that they’ve wasted this past week, allowing their misery to consume them and ruin so many intimate moments, but Castiel isn’t going to fixate on that now.

When Dean reaches down to strip Castiel of his pants, he moans all breathy and soft. He helps Dean by kicking the material off his legs and onto the floor, leaving him exposed in only his underwear.

Dean’s lips begin to travel down Castiel’s body, trailing over his chest, his stomach, between his legs and over the tops of his thighs, before moving back up and settling on his middle. A heated blush rushes up Castiel’s body, reddening his cheeks and making him gasp when Dean pushes his shirt up further to lay hot, wet kisses all over the skin.

But then, Castiel is gasping for a completely different reason when the door knob suddenly turns. The person on the other side doesn’t even knock first, instead just barging into the room and disturbing the tender moment the two of them are sharing.

A chill shoots down Castiel’s spine when he sees who has interrupted them. It’s Raphael.

Castiel immediately starts to scramble, face setting fire as he tries to hide his uncovered body from the leering alpha in the doorway who is staring at the two of them with barely disguised delight.

Dean moves faster than Castiel, grabbing the blanket off the back of the couch and draping it over Castiel’s naked legs. He kisses Castiel’s forehead once to reassure him before standing to face Raphael.

“You’re not allowed to see the prince in a state of undress.” Dean’s voice is even, quiet, but simmering with a cold kind of rage that ties Castiel’s stomach into a knot.

Raphael only smirks. “Strictly speaking, neither are you, but that didn’t stop you, did it?”

Dean exhales sharply through his nose, and Castiel gulps at the sound. “This is a private room. You need to leave.”

“So it is.” Raphael glances around the room, feigning surprise. “I must have taken a wrong turn on my way to a meeting. Silly me.”

That’s a blatant lie and they all know it. The bed chambers and private rooms of the Novaks are a fair distance from any of the studies used for council meetings, and Raphael has been here enough times over the years to know that.

So how did he end up here? Had he been… looking for them?

Castiel doesn’t say a word. He _hates_ being exposed and vulnerable this way, unable to do anything but clutch the thin blanket and wait for Dean or Raphael’s next words.

It’s Raphael who breaks the silence, his too loud voice making Castiel wince. “So! I hear good progress is being made with that fiancé of yours, Castiel.”

Castiel looks down at his lap, only just noticing the way he’s been pulling at his own fingernails.

Raphael goes on. “You’ll finally be in your rightful place; living in an alpha’s house, doing the cleaning and cooking, fat with his child… just like every omega should be. Your father was right to listen to me.”

Dean speaks for Castiel, hands tightening into fists as he spits, “That’s not going to happen. Cas is mine, and backwards bastards like you aren’t going to change that.”

“Watch your tongue,” Raphael snarls. “If I had my way, you’d already be dead. It’s a shame that the King doesn’t agree but just give him some time. I think we all know by now that I can be very… persuading.”

“You don’t have the power,” Dean bites back. “You’re bitter and jaded; you’ll never have control the way the King does and you hate that.”

It only brings a smirk back to Raphael’s face, and Castiel’s heart stutters in his chest. “You really think the King decided on this arranged marriage himself? Somebody had to convince him that an omega shouldn’t be allowed to make their own decisions. And don’t get me started on an omega having a place on the council. The King also thought that that was a good idea but thankfully I managed to change his mind about that, as well.”

Castiel swallows around a thick lump in his throat. It hurts to hear Raphael belittle his father this way. Castiel isn’t sure what’s worse; thinking that his father was capable of forcing him into an arranged marriage of his own accord or knowing that his father is weak enough to be pushed around by people like Raphael.

Dean is silent for a few seconds before saying tightly, “Do you have a point?”

Raphael’s eyes turn cold, fixating on Dean with an unforgiving glare as he sneers, “My _point_ is that no matter how hard you try, I will always win. I convinced the King to remove his own child from the council, and I convinced him to organise this arranged marriage even though he didn't think it was the right thing to do. Let’s just hope I can convince him to keep you alive long enough to have your precious omega fucked by another man while I make you watch.”

Dean lunges forward, every muscle in his body poised to attack the revolting man before them before he is stopped by a clear and confident threat.

“Ah, ah, I wouldn’t try that. If you lay a single finger on me I can have your throat slit quicker than your omega can scream.”

Dean freezes. An unbearable silence ripples across the room as Raphael’s eyes shift from Dean to Castiel, smirk only growing when he sees the matching looks of revulsion on their faces.

“Remember your places,” Raphael says as he begins to step backwards towards the door. “I hope you realise now that a bitch omega and a servant from the south never had any chance of winning.”

And then he leaves. They both stay rooted in place for a long moment, time standing still as Raphael’s toxic words wrap around them as heavy as lead. Dean’s expressionless eyes finally find Castiel, and he hurries over to sweep him into his arms just as Castiel breaks down in tears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So you may have noticed that there is now a last chapter in sight! Only four more to go now!
> 
> I don't know why, but there haven't been many comments on the last few chapters (less than the chapters used to get, is what I mean)... should I be worried? Are people not enjoying this as much as they used to? 
> 
> Maybe I'm just being paranoid. Thank you very much if you do leave feedback/comments; I spend hours working on this story and being able to hear what you guys think of it really means a lot.
> 
> I hope you'll all stick with me for this final stretch now, I'm really excited about what I have planned and I think you'll like it!
> 
> [Link to my tumblr](http://wingit-spn.tumblr.com/)


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It seems as though Castiel and Dean are fighting a losing battle, and tensions arise between them because of it.
> 
> Trigger warning: Brief mention of rape.

“I still can’t believe he threatened you both like that, Cassie,” Balthazar says with a shake of his head as he pours them another cup of tea each.

Castiel adds another spoonful of sugar to his tea in the hopes that it’ll boost his energy a little, and he sighs in response. “I know. I always knew he was awful but not _that_ awful.”

It’s been three days since Castiel and Dean’s encounter with Raphael, and Castiel has finally invited Balthazar over to tell him all about it. The three of them now sit in the dining room, having the afternoon tea that Balthazar had insisted on because Castiel and Dean had looked ‘like death’, in his words. Castiel half-heartedly sips at his tea but the sandwich on his plate gets ignored, aside from when Dean reaches over to steal a little piece of it every now and then.

“Why haven’t you told your family about what he said?” Balthazar questions Castiel, not for the first time that day. “You know that they’d take your side, despite everything that’s been going on lately.”

Castiel only shrugs. He’s sure his family would be supportive but he just can’t bring himself to go crawling back to them after spending so long trying to prove that he can be independent. He’s always been the type to suffer in silence, anyway.

Balthazar reads Castiel like a book. “You and your damn pride. Do you want me to tell them instead?”

“No, it’s fine,” Castiel says through a wide yawn. “I’m sure Raphael is all talk; my father may have been bullied into doing certain things by the council but he’d never go as far as having Dean killed.”

“It’s not just that, Cassie!” Balthazar says incredulously. “Raphael didn’t just threaten to kill Dean; he also said he was going to have you _raped_ , in _front_ of Dean!”

The word sends a shudder through Castiel’s body, as though somebody has tipped a bucket of ice down the back of his shirt. Dean sees his reaction and wraps an arm around his waist, gently squeezing the skin.

Because the truth is, whilst Castiel doesn’t believe most of the things that Raphael said, his words have terrified him. He’s barely slept, being subjected to a number of nightmares each night that have left him screaming in a pool of his own sweat until Dean wakes him up and pulls him into his arms. Castiel is exhausted, his eyes red-rimmed from a near constant stream of tears, and he _hates_ that Raphael has managed to affect him this badly.

Dean has been supporting him as much as he can, but Castiel can feel Dean getting increasingly tense as well. They haven’t been flirting and joking like they used to. They only kiss when it feels like they have to. They haven’t had sex since the King informed Castiel that he’d selected Inias as his husband-to-be because Castiel just can’t seem to get in the mood anymore.

They said that they weren’t going to let anybody break them, but Castiel can feel a tether growing tighter, being stretched closer to its limit.

When Castiel doesn’t respond to Balthazar, his friend reaches over to rub the back of his hand. “I’m sorry, Cassie. I just hate seeing what he’s done to you.”

A brief silence falls across the room, the three of them struggling under the weight of the situation. Balthazar is the first one to break it, taking a deep breath before speaking.

“Cassie, can I be honest? I think something needs to be done now. You can’t keep going on like this, it’s just not healthy. As much as you love Dean, he can’t be the only person you speak to all day every day, and you might try to deny it but you need your family as well.”

“He’s right, Cas,” Dean says, making Castiel look up at him in surprise. Dean isn’t usually chatty around Balthazar, mostly because he can’t really get a word in edgeways. “We’ve been doing our best for so long but we’re still losing. If we want what we have to last, then something’s gotta change. If it doesn’t, before long you’ll be married to some other alpha and there’s a chance that I’ll be dead. And I’m pretty sure I don’t want either of those things to happen.”

“Just pretty sure?” Castiel repeats with a weak smile.

“Yeah, pretty sure.”

“But what could we do?”

“Well, for starters,” Balthazar says as he pokes Castiel’s arm. “You need some friends again. You’ve got me, obviously, but I don’t have much power to do anything by myself. I think you need to talk things through with Gabriel.”

Castiel casts his gaze down to his lap. “Gabe doesn’t wanna talk to me.”

“Yes, he does, Cassie. He probably just doesn’t know how to approach you now and there’s a good chance that he’s feeling guilty for not coming to you sooner.”

“But I already tried asking him to talk and he wasn’t having any of it,” Castiel says, remembering the awkward encounter a couple of weeks ago when Gabriel walked in on Dean and him in a somewhat compromising position.

“When?” Balthazar frowns.

“Maybe a week or two ago.”

“Was Dean there at the time?”

Castiel glances sideways at Dean. “Yes?”

“That’s probably why he didn’t want to talk. You need to speak to him alone.”

“What would Gabriel have against Dean?” Castiel asks, affronted.

“Nothing; he probably just doesn’t want an audience when he talks to you. Don’t forget that Gabriel doesn’t really know Dean that well, so it’s likely a little intimidating for him to be talking about feelings and all that in front of him.”

That could be true, Castiel supposes. Gabriel can be just as proud and stubborn as he is, and he really hasn’t spent any time with Dean aside from a few passing conversations.

That’s not the only thing stopping Castiel from trying to talk to his brother, though. What if Gabriel refuses to speak to him, with or without Dean? What if he has no interest in having anything to do with Castiel again? Castiel’s heart would break if he had to actually _hear_ Gabriel say those words.

Balthazar breaks through Castiel’s thought bubble, urging him. “What have you got to lose?”

Castiel contemplates that for a few moments before sighing. “But even if I do talk to him, and we make up. What would Gabriel be able to do?”

“Anything, Cassie. He could talk to your Dad, or one of the council members like Gadreel or Bartholomew. You won’t know until you ask.” Balthazar pauses to take another sip of tea before pointing a finger at Castiel. “Don’t underestimate the power of having allies.”

X

Castiel has been debating if and when he should talk to Gabriel all day since Balthazar left. The rational part of his mind understands what Balthazar and Dean are saying and knows that they’re probably right, but Castiel is still being held back by the part of him that’s petrified of being rejected. It’s the only reason he hadn’t marched straight to Gabriel hours ago, and whilst he’s ashamed of himself for letting his fears hold him back, it still isn’t enough to prompt him into action.

He sighs. He’ll just have to try again tomorrow.

Castiel joins Dean in bed after he has washed and changed, giving him a sweet but short kiss before settling under the blankets and getting comfortable. He doesn’t bother to blow out the last few candles on the bedside table yet; he may still decide to read a little bit before sleeping in an attempt to lose himself in another world and forget all of his problems for a while.

When Castiel has lay down and relaxed, Dean shuffles his way closer to pull Castiel in for another kiss. Castiel responds, but with a heavy heart. He knows Dean is trying to initiate sex, as he does nearly every night, but Castiel is going to have to turn him down again. He knows he should be making the most of this time with Dean since he doesn’t know when it could all end, but he just can’t force himself to want sex when his body doesn’t seem to have the energy anymore.

One of Dean’s hands slides it’s way under the blankets and down Castiel’s body, stopping between his legs and rubbing there.

Castiel reaches down to take hold of Dean’s wrist and draw his hand away.

“Not tonight, Dean,” he murmurs with a soft, apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, I’m just not in the mood.”

He shuffles upright to turn and pick up his book from the bedside table, finally deciding to read at least a few pages before turning in, when the sound of a heavy sigh causes him to freeze.

Castiel looks back at Dean with wide eyes. “Did you just… huff at me?”

Dean glances up at Castiel with a blank expression before rolling onto his back, gaze fixed on the ceiling.

Castiel raises an eyebrow. “Dean?”

“Forget it, Cas.”

Dean’s voice is sharp in a way Castiel has never heard it before, certainly not directed at him, anyway. It makes the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as his body tenses.

“ _What_ , Dean?” Castiel urges, brow furrowed now as he tries to get Dean to speak.

“I said it’s nothing.”

“Well, clearly it’s not _nothing_ if you’re acting like you’re annoyed with me.” Castiel gives a sigh of his own, readjusting himself with more aggression than necessary as he punches his pillow. Dean’s silence only boils his blood more, and he can’t help scoffing. “Sorry for not being the perfect, little omega who’ll just lie back and spread their legs every night. I didn’t mean to be such a disappointment for you.”

That finally draws a proper response from Dean, who turns to scowl at Castiel. “See, this is the kind of shit that you pull as soon as something doesn’t go your way. You can’t help acting like a child, can you?”

Hot tears prickle Castiel’s eyes, and he quickly looks away. “Well, what do you expect me to say? You’re obviously angry with me because I didn’t want to make love.”

Dean is quiet for a moment. “It’s not because of that.”

Castiel rolls his eyes, sniffling. “Could’ve fooled me.”

“Okay, fine, it’s a _little_ because of that, but come _on_ , Cas. We haven’t had sex in nearly two weeks. That’s not normal.”

“I don’t think anything about our situation is _normal_. It’s hardly fair to compare us to other people.”

Castiel waits for Dean to reply, but he doesn’t say a word. It causes a stab of sickness deep in Castiel’s stomach.

Dean and he have spent months battling other people, standing their ground and defending themselves against everyone who is against them. They’ve always been a team, they’ve always supported each other and understood the other one’s emotions. Tension has always been directed away from them, never _between_ them. It’s the first time they’ve come close to an argument, and Castiel hates it with every fibre of his being.

He swallows thickly. “What is this really about, Dean?”

He sees Dean take a gulp of his own, his Adam’s apple jumping ever so slightly from the action. “Why haven’t you talked to Gabriel yet?”

It’s a question that Castiel hadn’t been anticipating, and it makes his eyebrows rise once again. “Because, I… I’m scared that he’ll reject me.”

Dean gives Castiel a hard look, eyes cold and searching. “Is that really the reason?”

The stab of sickness in Castiel’s stomach turns into a relentless ache. “What other reason could there be?”

“Cas, you know that we’re not gonna win this thing on our own. You know that Gabriel is probably one of the only people who’ll be able to help us.” The blankets between them crease as Dean grips them in his hand, twisting the fabric. “Yet you still won’t talk to him. Why are you not doing the only thing that’ll help us stay together?”

“Because I’m worried that he _won’t_ help us. I’m worried that we’re going to pin all of our hope on this one thing that might not even work.” Castiel takes a shaky breath, a couple of tears still clouding his vision and making his voice wobble. “Why do _you_ think I won’t talk to him?”

Dean’s eyes return to the ceiling, staring upwards as though he’s deliberately avoiding Castiel’s gaze. Dean doesn’t exactly respond to the question. He instead just exhales slowly and mumbles, “It’s just starting to feel like you don’t care as much anymore.”

Castiel’s heart shatters, and he finally lets out the choked sob that he’d been holding back. “That’s not true, of course I care! How could you say that?”

“You’re pushing me away, Cas. I don’t know if you realise it but you are. You just don’t seem to have the energy to fight back against them anymore… it’s like you’ve given up. It’s like you’ve already accepted that you’re gonna end up with some other guy.”

The words hurt. Panic crawls its way up Castiel’s spine, and he says desperately, “But I _haven’t_. I… I know I’ve been a little distant lately but that doesn’t mean that I’ve just stopped caring!”

“You need to start proving it then, Cas. ‘Cause I’m getting real tired.”

Dean rolls away from Castiel, turning his back on him and effectively ending the conversation. Castiel stares at Dean’s back for a long time, until the candles have burned low enough to pull the room into near darkness. The rise and fall of Dean's shoulder gradually evens out as his breathing deepens, steady and relaxed as he drifts off to sleep.

The same can't be said for Castiel. He lies wide awake, heart thumping too hard for sleep to even be an option. Dean's words swarm around his mind like bees, buzzing and bouncing around his head. Castiel is hoping that Dean had said most of those things simply out of spite to ease the frustration that's been building up for so long, but it's still painful to know that Dean has been having doubts about him.

After another long gaze at his sleeping protector, Castiel comes to a decision. If Dean wants him to prove his love, then that's exactly what he'll do. He pushes back the blankets and sneaks out of bed.

The thought of possibly being turned away by Gabriel is still one that ties Castiel's stomach in knots, but he’ll be damned if he lets his own insecurities ruin what he has with Dean.

It’s time to finally _do_ something.

X

The walk to Gabriel’s room is short, though each step closer only heightens the feeling of dread within Castiel’s stomach. A part of him is hoping that Gabriel will already be asleep, and that he’ll have no choice but to postpone this conversation until tomorrow.

There’s a guard stood outside Gabriel’s room when Castiel arrives. Guards tend not to look at or speak to a royal unless they initiate a conversation first, so Castiel takes a deep breath to ask his question in the most confident voice he can muster.

“May I speak to Gabriel, please?”

He’d half been expecting the guard to turn him away, or maybe even say that Gabriel has specifically asked not to allow Castiel entry, so when the guard nods and turns to open the door Castiel dithers a little. Between the fight with Dean and the impromptu journey here, Castiel has not exactly had much of a chance to plan what he’s going to say.

He looks into the now open doorway, takes a deep breath and crosses the threshold.

Most of the candles are already blown out, basking the room in a warm and cosy glow. Gabriel is already in bed but he’s sitting up with a journal on his lap and a pen poised in his hand, though he doesn’t currently seem to be writing anything.

Castiel is saved from being the one to break the silence when the guard introduces him instead.

“Prince Castiel asked to see you, Your Highness.”

Gabriel looks up from the guard to Castiel, before settling back on the guard. His expression is unreadable, and it does nothing to ease the tightness in Castiel’s chest. “Thank you.”

The guard leaves the room without another word and closes the door behind him with a finalising thud. Castiel stays rooted to the spot, awkwardly lingering as he waits for Gabriel to say the first word.

Gabriel closes the journal in his lap and moves it to one side, frowning up at Castiel. “Have you been crying?”

On instinct, Castiel lifts a hand up to touch the tears still leaking down his face. Huh. He hadn’t even noticed they were still there. He sniffles, and looks down at the ground. “I had a fight with Dean.”

The brotherly protectiveness that Castiel hasn’t seen in a very long time suddenly returns, and Gabriel demands, “Did he hurt you?”

Castiel shakes his head. “No, no, nothing like that. He’s just… tired. And so am I.”

Gabriel looks at him like he’s analysing him for a couple of minutes, before sighing and patting the space on the bed next to him. “Wanna sit down?”

Castiel nods eagerly, taking the invitation and joining his brother on the bed.

“What happened?” Gabriel asks. He is still sitting a good distance away from Castiel and his hands are clasped which is a common sign that he’s uncomfortable, but Castiel is still taking this as a sign of progress. Gabriel is actually talking to him, which is more than he’s done in weeks.

Castiel lets out a shaky breath, not sure quite where to begin. “Dean and I have been fighting for us for so long now… but nobody still seems to care that we love each other. It feels like everyone is against us and I thought we could pull through but it’s just so hard, and I’m so tired of fighting but now Dean thinks that I’m giving up. I-I’m not giving up, I just… I feel so alone. You and Michael haven’t talked to me in weeks and Daddy is still forcing me to marry somebody else and it’s not _fair_ , I just want to be with Dean and I want my family back and I…”

Castiel trails off as he breaks down in tears, barely aware of when Gabriel pulls him into his arms and shushes him. Castiel grasps the fabric of Gabriel’s shirt and allows himself to sink in to the comfort of his brother’s embrace, giving in to his own sadness as he leans heavily on Gabriel.

Gabriel doesn’t say anything, giving Castiel time to let out all of his emotions. He slowly manoeuvres them to sit back against the grand headboard of the bed, tugging a couple of blankets up and over Castiel to warm him.

Castiel cries until his body runs out of tears, left only with the occasional hiccup and a foggy head. He doesn’t pull away from the hug though, and neither does Gabriel. They both stay in that position for a long time, the only movement between them being Gabriel’s hand when he sweeps some of Castiel’s hair off his forehead.

“I had no idea you were feeling this bad,” Gabriel mumbles against Castiel’s hair, pressing an absent-minded kiss to the top of his head. “I’m so sorry, Cassie.”

In a flash, Castiel forgets all of the confusion and anger that had been plaguing him for weeks over Gabriel’s silence. He accepts the apology without a second of hesitation, though he can’t hold back the many questions he has. “Why did you stop speaking to me? Why did you cut me out like that?”

Gabriel sighs, his chest deflating heavily under Castiel’s hand. “Because, I… I thought you’d changed. Try and see it from my perspective; one morning Dad came bursting into my room telling me that he’d caught you in _bed_ with a servant. I didn’t believe him to begin with, because I thought that if something like that ever did happen, you’d have come to me and told me first.”

Castiel’s chest aches as he remembers all of the times he wanted to tell Gabriel about Dean but chickened out instead. Maybe things would’ve been so much easier if he’d been braver.

Gabriel carries on. “But it turned out it was true, and I didn’t know a thing about it. I was hurt that you didn’t tell me so I just wanted to avoid you for a little bit… but then I starting hearing from other people what you’d been doing. Dad kept getting upset about the way you’d been mouthing off at him, and Gadreel told me about the kind of stuff you’d been saying in the council meetings. I couldn’t believe any of that was you, so I just kept avoiding you because I was scared that when I did talk to you, I wouldn’t even recognise you.”

“But I’m still _me_. I was only mouthing off at Daddy because I thought he’d be accepting of me and he wasn’t, and he went ahead with the arranged marriage when I really didn’t think he would. And as for the council, I only wanted to prove that I wasn’t weak. I was fighting fire with fire; acting out on purpose.”

He feels Gabriel nod against his head, and Castiel’s heart lifts as he finally, _finally_ feels accepted by a member of his family. He clingers tighter to Gabriel, hoping that his gratitude is relayed in his actions as Gabriel responds, “That makes sense. I guess I just got caught up in what everyone else was saying… I should’ve come to you sooner. I’m sorry.”

“I should’ve come to you sooner as well.”

Castiel looks up at his brother and they smile softly at each other. It warms Castiel from the inside out, the relief he feels making him calm and sleepy.

Gabriel’s smile drops though, and he looks away when he asks, “Can I ask you a question? Why did you tell Balthazar, but not me?”

Castiel leans his head back down on Gabriel’s shoulder. “Because as much as I love Balthazar, I don’t care about what he thinks nearly as much as I care about you. I knew that he’d be fine with it because he’d teased me about having a crush on Dean in the past. But I was so worried that when I told you, you wouldn’t accept me, so I just kept putting it off and then… Daddy caught me anyway so it didn’t make much of a difference after that.”

“So basically,” Gabriel says with a little amused snort. “We could’ve solved all of our problems if we weren’t such babies and actually _talked_ to each other properly.”

The hint of a smirk forms on Castiel’s face. It feels good after spending so long glowering. “Are we stupid?”

“I think we are, a little bit.”

They both laugh, and Castiel is so relieved by the feeling that nothing has changed he thinks he could cry again.

Gabriel's face softens and he nudges Castiel. “You wanna stay here tonight, bunny?”

Castiel hums. “I should get back to Dean, just in case he wakes up and panics when he realises I'm gone.”

Gabriel accepts that with a nod. "So, what did you two argue about, exactly?"

"Well, he... we..." Castiel blushes, wondering how to approach the topic of sex whilst talking with his brother. "I haven't been... in the mood for a while -"

" _Ew_ ," Gabriel interrupts.

"Hey, you've said way worse things to me than that. So we haven't been... intimate for a while. And for the past couple of weeks I've been really down and upset, and I've been leaning on Dean a lot. I guess I didn't realise how much he was being affected as well. I _hate_ that he's mad at me like this."

“He’ll be okay, Cassie. He understands that you only fought because you’re both frustrated.”

Castiel looks up at Gabriel hopefully. “He does?”

“Yeah, of course. Couples will occasionally fight, especially if they’re under as much pressure as you and Dean are. You two will be fine.”

Castiel smiles. He'd almost forgotten how easily Gabriel is able to reassure him. This has always been how their relationship works; Castiel is the serious one who's more likely to get carried away by wild thoughts, and Gabriel is the easy-going one who can calm him down in just a few words. He knows how Castiel's mind works, and he knows exactly how to put all of his insecurities straight to bed.

The warmth Castiel feels both in and around him tugs at his eyelids, urging them closed despite his best efforts to keep them open. He yawns widely, eyes itching and dry from an extended period of crying.

"Need to go back to Dean," he mumbles, eyes already closed as he nestles closer into the crook of Gabriel's neck.

He hears Gabriel chuckle. "Yeah, okay. I don't think you're gonna get very far tonight, though."

"Mmf," Castiel tries to protest, his brain not quite managing to convert his thoughts into actual words. With another wide yawn, he admits defeat and allows himself to finally drift off. He has Gabriel again. It's taken time, but it seems as though Castiel's family is slowly coming to accept his decisions and his relationship with Dean.

Balthazar is right; having an ally or two is surprisingly comforting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys you've gotta help me out. I'm trying to come up with ideas for my next fic when this one is finished, but nothing is inspiring me the way this one does! Any requests or suggestions? I'd really appreciate it!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
> 
> [Link to my tumblr](http://wingit-spn.tumblr.com/)
> 
>  
> 
> EDIT: I've made some changes to this chapter because some parts were a little sloppy and didn't make much sense. I really shouldn't write when I'm tired!


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Gabriel now on Castiel and Dean's side, they start to think about how this wedding is going to be stopped.

Castiel wakes up to a darkened room, the barest hints of daylight just beginning to creep through the window in the form of weak sunrays. He blinks heavily, taking several seconds to remember why he’s not in his own bed, and where exactly he is. Through a wide yawn, he glances at his still sleeping brother and eases himself away, not wanting to disturb Gabriel.

It’s very early in the morning, if the dimness and silence of the castle are anything to go by, but Castiel still stops himself from falling back asleep. He hadn’t meant to stay here all night, and he wants to get back to Dean before Dean realises he’s gone and panics. He’s looking forward to seeing his lover again and sharing the good news about Gabriel; the progress they’ve made is uplifting and Castiel is already feeling much more rested and inspired because of it.

And it’d been the first night since Raphael’s threat that Castiel hadn’t had any nightmares, which is also a bonus.

Castiel leans over and gently shakes Gabriel’s arm, rousing him to let him know that he’s leaving. Gabriel groans and bats Castiel’s hand away. He’s never been much of a morning person.

“Ge’ off, Cassie,” he grumbles, burrowing further under the blankets.

“You don’t have to get up; I just wanted to tell you that I’m going back to my room, now.”

Gabriel peeks one eye open, squinting up at him. “M’kay. D’ya feel better now?”

Castiel smiles. “Yes, much better.”

“Good. I’m glad.”

“Gabe, can we spend some time together today?”

“Yeah, ‘course. We’ve got a lotta catching up to do.”

Castiel beams, but then bites his lip as he hesitates for a moment. “And I was wondering… if Dean joins us later… could you maybe try and get to know him a little bit? It’d mean the world to me if you two got along.”

That makes Gabriel open both eyes fully, blinking away the sleep and frowning as he thinks. “I guess so. After finding out about you and him I didn’t really trust him that much, ‘cause he’s a huge alpha who used to live on the streets and he’s older than you. I was worried he’d hurt you. But if you trust him, then I should as well, right?”

“Right. I know Dean’s had his demons in the past and there’s a bit of an age difference between us, but we love each other, and Dean would certainly never hurt me.”

Gabriel nods. “Okay. Well then, if it’ll make you happy, we can all spend some time together today.”

Castiel leans down to give Gabriel a quick hug, grinning from ear to ear. “Thank you, Gabe. I’ll let you get some more sleep then, I’ll see you later.”

He makes to get out of bed, but Gabriel untangles a hand from the blankets to grab Castiel’s wrist. “Wait. Remember what I said last night about you trying to make up with Michael and Dad? I think you should join us for breakfast today.”

Castiel doesn’t respond, stomach suddenly sinking. For the past couple of months he’s been avoiding mealtimes with his family altogether, instead choosing to eat alone. It’s of course reassuring to know that he’d have Gabriel beside him now, but it still doesn’t stop the wave of nausea he feels at the thought of being subjected to two identical sets of disapproving frowns.

“I don’t know, Gabe,” he eventually sighs, looking away.

“Cassie, time is already starting to run out; if you want to stay with Dean then you need to be proactive. I think Michael will be easier to crack, but he’s very good at avoiding people so mealtimes are your best bet with him.”

“Do you really think Michael will change his mind about me?”

“Yes, especially if I’m there to, you know, persuade him. Promise you’ll come with me?”

Castiel swallows. “O-okay. But if they’re cruel to me again, then I’m blaming you.”

X

When Castiel returns to his bedroom, he breathes a sigh of relief at the sight of Dean still tucked up in bed and snoozing soundly. He tiptoes over to the bed and slips under the blankets, wiggling closer until he’s leaning over Dean and pressing their lips together. Dean sighs against Castiel’s lips, still very much asleep but responding to him sweetly.

Castiel brings a hand up to stroke through Dean’s hair, rousing him through a series of soft kisses until his eyelids start to flutter open.

“Cas,” Dean breathes, voice tired and gravelly as he brings an arm up to wrap around Castiel’s waist.

“I’m sorry we fought,” Castiel murmurs, tracing his fingers over Dean’s bare chest.

“I’m sorry, too. I didn’t mean what I said last night; I was just tired and frustrated.”

“I know.” Castiel smiles gently. “I was tired and frustrated as well.”

Dean returns the smile, gliding a hand up the back of Castiel’s nightshirt before a little crease forms between his eyebrows. “Why are you so cold?”

Castiel beams, excited to tell him the good news. “I just walked back here… from Gabriel’s room.”

“What?” Dean seems to miss the point completely and frowns. “You left? Fuck, Cas, don’t _do_ that. What if something happened to you?”

Castiel wriggles, impatient to tell Dean what happened with Gabriel. “It’s _fine_ , Dean.”

“No, it’s not. I didn’t even notice that you went, what kind of protector does that make me? What are you, part mouse?”

Castiel can’t help snorting in amusement. “Okay, fine, I’m sorry. I’m not gonna make a habit of it. I had to though, I couldn’t sleep after our fight and I just knew that I needed to _do_ something.”

“So…” Dean reaches up to rub his eye, still not fully awake. “You actually went to Gabriel? What happened?”

Castiel launches into his story, telling Dean of how Gabriel had been concerned to see Castiel upset, and how that’d led to them finally getting their feelings out in the open and being honest with each other. He tells him how Gabriel agreed to get to know Dean better, and also how Gabriel has already started to consider how they’re going to change their father and Michael’s minds on the marriage and the way they perceive Castiel and Dean’s relationship by forcing Castiel to spend some time around them.

Dean’s face has smoothed out by the time Castiel has finished talking, mouth tilting up in a soft smile. “Well, I’m still pissed that you snuck out but I’m glad you guys are talking again. That’s real good news.”

Castiel beams before leaning down to kiss Dean, heart singing because his protector is happy again. As their lips make contact, a heated spark zips up Castiel’s spine. It’s the kind of spark that his misery has been suppressing for two weeks now, and it sends a ripple of goosebumps up and down his arms. He deepens the kiss, testing the waters and smiling when the spark changes direction and shoots through his body, right down to his lower stomach.

For the first time in weeks, it’s Castiel’s hand to make the journey south, teasing and tracing down Dean’s stomach until it settles between his legs.

Dean lets out a tiny moan before looking up at Castiel with guilty eyes. “Cas… we don’t have to if you don’t want. Don’t feel like we do just ‘cause I whined about it last night.”

Castiel shakes his head, quietening Dean with another heated kiss. “Hush, you. I _want_ to. I missed this.”

Dean’s guilty eyes quickly vanish as his pupils dilate, and he tugs Castiel closer with a murmured, “I missed this, too.”

X

With all the… _catching up_ that Castiel and Dean had to do, they don’t get the chance to take a nap before Gabriel is knocking on the door to call Castiel down to breakfast. It had taken a little bit of re-convincing, but Castiel eventually agreed to accompany Gabriel to the dining room, Dean walking alongside them as well. It’s not too early in the morning now so it’s very likely that their father and Michael will already be down there.

Just before entering the dining room, Castiel reaches out to grab Gabriel’s hand, clutching it in an attempt to calm his nerves. Gabriel squeezes his hand back, pushing open the door and firmly pulling Castiel in after him.

Sure enough, the King and Michael are both sat at the dining room table, breakfast momentarily forgotten as they look up at Castiel and Gabriel with undeniable expressions of surprise.

“Mornin’,” Gabriel says chirpily as though he hasn’t noticed the sudden tension in the room. “Castiel’s gonna join us for breakfast. Hope that’s okay.”

With a final lingering glance at Castiel to make sure he’s alright, Dean gives him a kiss on the forehead and leaves down the servants’ stairs to the kitchen. As he exits, Gabriel drags Castiel by the hand and sits him down at the table, taking the seat next to him.

An unbearable silence settles over the room, broken only by the sound of Gabriel piling up two plates of food for the both of them. He dumps one of the plates in front of Castiel, and Castiel stares down at it with a grimace. He couldn’t have less of an appetite right now if he tried.

It looks as though he’s not the only one feeling this way; their father has stopped eating altogether and Michael’s eyes keeps darting between the three of them, forgotten fork still poised in his hand.

Gabriel is the only one who doesn’t seem affected by the awkwardness, shovelling down bacon before pointing at the window with his fork. “Looks like it snowed again during the night. That’ll be a bummer for the postman, I bet.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Castiel sees their father and Michael exchange incredulous looks.

“So…” Michael says, clearing his throat. “I guess you two are… talking again?”

“Yep.” Gabriel leans across the table to steal another sausage. “Turns out Cassie is mature enough to decide for himself who makes a good partner for him. Who knew, huh?”

The King huffs. “Yes, about that. Castiel, I’ve arranged for you to have your wedding garments fitted tomorrow afternoon. Time is starting to run out, you see.”

It finally makes Castiel look up properly, and he frowns. “What do you mean?”

“We’ve settled on a date. A week on Saturday.”

The King picks up his fork again and starts to push food around his plate as though he hasn’t just dropped a giant bombshell on them. Castiel’s stomach twists into a knot, and he pushes his plate away before the smell of food actually makes him throw up.

“Um…” Gabriel hesitates, finally pausing his eating. “Dad, don’t you think it’s maybe time to… re-think this? Clearly the wedding is gonna make Castiel miserable, so –”

“We’ve come this far, Gabriel,” the King interrupts, not looking up from his plate. “We’ve already sent out a hundred invitations. Most of the planning is underway; food has been ordered in, musicians have been hired. There’s no going back now.”

Castiel splutters, stunned that so much progress has been made on this wedding all behind his back. “Why wasn’t _I_ told about any of this?!”

“I thought it’d only upset you,” their father mumbles.

“Well, shit!” Gabriel bursts out, a bit of sausage flying off the end of his fork when he throws a hand up. “If the very mention of the wedding is upsetting for Castiel, maybe that’s a hint that there shouldn’t be a wedding _at all?_ ”

“Like I said, Gabriel.” Their father’s voice is quiet. “It’s too late now.”

“No, Dad, it _isn’t_ ,” Gabriel protests, and despite the conversation Castiel’s heart swells at his brother trying to protect him. “We’ve got a week and a half, we can still call it off, it’d be the _right_ thing to do –”

“I said it’s too late, Gabriel!” The King slams the table, startling everyone into silence. “ _This_ is the right thing to do and we shouldn’t let ourselves be influenced by a who–”

He cuts himself off mid-word. There was no need for him to finish it, anyway. They all know what he had been about to say.

“I…” he starts to stammer. “I didn’t mean…”

Castiel’s lip begins to tremor, a large lump lodging itself inside his throat.

Gabriel and Michael appear as equally as stunned, so much so that Michael even says, “What the hell, Dad?”

The King’s face is drained of all colour, and he looks up at Castiel with wide eyes. “Castiel, I didn’t mean that. I –”

Castiel doesn’t give him the chance to finish. He pushes back his chair and jumps up, blindly running towards the servants’ stairs as he hears Gabriel behind him start to curse and scold their father. He doesn’t stay long enough to hear their father’s reply.

X

Through a thick haze of tears, Castiel stumbles down the stairs and into the servants’ kitchen. He doesn’t give the servants any time to fluster and stand up; he’s already spotted Dean sitting in the middle of the right side of the table and is rushing over to him, wiping away a couple of tears that have dripped down his cheeks as he moves.

Dean stands up to meet him, brows etched together as he takes hold of Castiel’s hands. “Cas, what’s wrong? What happened?”

Castiel only shakes his head, sniffling. “I… I don’t wanna talk about it. Can I just stay here with you for a while?”

“Yeah, of course.”

They both sit down on the bench that surrounds the table and Castiel cuddles closer to Dean in an attempt give the other servant sitting beside him a bit more space. It’s a very _communal_ way of eating; Castiel is used to having his own personal space during mealtimes so he finds this to be a little daunting.

“Here.” Dean pushes his plate a little towards Castiel so he can reach it more easily. “You gotta eat something, okay? Share mine with me.”

Castiel still isn’t hungry in the slightest, but he picks up a slice of toast regardless. He brings it up to his mouth and takes a cautious bite, chewing for a couple of seconds before pulling a face. He makes a mental note to try and improve the quality of the servants’ food when all of this wedding ridiculousness eventually blows over.

He doesn’t put the toast down though, instead using it as a form of distraction so he doesn’t have to look up at anyone. He can feel many pairs of eyes on him, the mistrustful servants all watching him like hawks. He doesn’t blame them. Whilst a member of the royal family may sometimes make a quick trip to the kitchen for whatever reason, it’s basically unheard of to have a royal actually sit down and eat with the servants.

Dean has wrapped an arm around him, and with his free hand he uses his fork to slide some scrambled eggs towards Castiel’s side of the plate. “C’mon, Cas, you need more food than that.”

Castiel swallows heavily. “’m not hungry.”

Dean sighs, but doesn’t push him anymore than that. “Was it your Dad?”

The lump in Castiel’s throat rises again, threatening to push another stream of tears over the edge. His eyes fall down to his lap and he nods.

“Did he say something to you?”

Castiel nods again. “He’s… he’s set a date for the wedding. A week on Saturday.”

Dean goes silent, his only response being the tensing of his arm around Castiel.

Castiel finally drops his toast to fiddle with his fingernails, mumbling, “And he also called me a… not very nice name.”

Dean drops a kiss to Castiel’s shoulder, and he starts to say something when they’re interrupted by the sound of a huff.

They both look up with wide eyes, and for the first time since coming in Castiel notices that Benny is sat opposite them. Castiel raises an eyebrow at him, and then looks up at Dean to gage his reaction.

Dean is glaring at his friend, jaw tight with tension. “Got a problem?”

Benny is wearing the slightest hint of an amused smirk. He shakes his head. “I’m just sorry that you’ve got more _drama_ to deal with, brother. It seems never-ending with your omega.”

Almost as if on instinct, Castiel defends himself and scoffs, “I have a name.”

The smirk drops from Benny’s face, and he looks at Castiel with a cold expression. “Oh, I’m sorry. _Your Highness_.”

A little bit of nausea rises up Castiel’s stomach for a second, and he quickly looks away from Benny’s emotionless eyes.

Dean bristles beside him, back straightening up as he snaps at Benny, “Hey _buddy_ , I don’t care how good friends we are, if you make Cas uncomfortable I’ll rearrange your face. Got it?”

Benny doesn’t reply for several seconds, and everyone seems to hold their breath in anticipation. Eventually, Benny holds both hands up as a sign of surrender. “Apologises, Dean. Maybe I was wrong.”

Dean nods, but doesn’t say another word. The rest of breakfast is consumed by an awkward silence to rival the one with his family upstairs, and Castiel bitterly acknowledges the fact that this kind of tension seems to be following him today.

This hadn’t been the way this morning was supposed to go. After making up with Gabriel, Castiel had been filled with a newfound hope that perhaps things would start looking up. Gabriel had done the best he could with their family, bless his heart, but their father had had none of it. In fact, it’d sort of had the _opposite_ effect instead.

Benny’s rudeness has also surprised him. Castiel had been hoping that Benny would be supportive of them since Dean and he are such good friends, and after all, Benny had helped Castiel in the dungeons all those weeks ago. But then again, Castiel supposes, Benny had done that to help Dean, not because he felt sorry for Castiel.

Maybe Benny has no interest in being their ally either.

It isn’t until the servants begin to stand up and clear away their plates that Dean asks Castiel, “What do you wanna do now?”

Castiel lets out a shaky exhale, and mumbles, “I wanna go back to bed.”

X

When they arrive back at their bedroom Castiel immediately throws himself down onto the bed, burrowing under the blankets and finally letting his tears flow freely. Dean sits down beside him, bundling Castiel up in his arms and letting him soak the fabric of his shirt with his cries. He doesn’t say anything; he just gives Castiel the time he needs to let his emotions out and cry his sorrows away.

But they aren’t left uninterrupted for long. A knock on the door makes them both look up, and Dean hesitantly calls out, “Who is it?”

“It’s Gabriel. I’m coming in.”

Without waiting for another word, Gabriel lets himself in and sighs at the sight of his weeping brother.

“There you are, I’ve been looking for you, Cassie.”

Gabriel approaches the bed and sits down on the other side of Castiel, holding out an arm. Castiel detangles himself from Dean and moves over to Gabriel, allowing the comfort from his lover and his brother to soothe him. If there’s one positive thing about this morning, it’s having two of his favourite people here to reassure him.

“I don’t know if this’ll be any consolation, but Dad said he’s sorry,” Gabriel says.

Castiel huffs in disbelief.

“What did he say, exactly?” Dean asks.

Gabriel rubs a hand up and down Castiel’s arm as he replies, “He used an unpleasant word that rhymes with ‘door’ and is usually reserved for describing a street-walker.”

Dean looks predictably horrified. “Well, saying sorry doesn’t just excuse that!”

“I know,” Gabriel says. “But Cassie, do you remember what he said at breakfast? That you getting married is ‘the right thing to do’, and we ‘can’t let ourselves be influenced by a whore’. Those aren’t Dad’s words. Whose do they sound like to you?”

Castiel frowns, hands clenching into weak fists in his lap. “Raphael.”

“Exactly. Dad’s been parroting Raphael and the council’s words for a long time. If you hear something enough times, you’re eventually going to start believing it.”

Dean surprises Castiel by agreeing with Gabriel, adding, “Maybe your Dad was rude earlier because he’s jealous that you and Gabriel have made up, since it’s not as easy for him to do the same.”

“Highly likely,” Gabriel nods. He kisses the top of Castiel’s head. “Dad isn’t the problem. We all know that even if he managed to stop the wedding the council is still going to be around, controlling things. We need a solution that’s more permanent.”

Castiel looks up at Gabriel, his tears forgotten as his mind starts to work. “I doubt our father is the only one being controlled as well. How many members of the council do you actually think would have such strong opinions on my personal relationship?”

Gabriel rolls his eyes. “Certainly not all of them. I’d like to think Gadreel and maybe Bartholomew wouldn’t. It’s Raphael and his minion Uriel who have bullied everyone else into submission.”

“But what are we going to do about it?” Castiel looks to Gabriel as if he’ll have all the answers and the magical power to solve everything.

Whilst Gabriel doesn’t have such gifts, he still has a look of strong determination about him. “I’m not sure yet, but don’t worry, Cassie. We’re gonna fix this. We’ve still got a week and a half, and it’s time to start changing as many minds as we can. I’m going to start with Michael.”

Castiel’s heart starts to thump faster, adrenaline and the barest hint of hope and excitement beginning to pump through his veins. “Do you think Michael will side with us?”

“Maybe. He was as horrified as I was when Dad called you that name earlier.”

Castiel is about to launch into his many concerns as to why Michael might not want anything to do with him and just what might happen if they are unable to ‘change minds’, as Gabriel had said. But then he looks at his earnest brother and stays quiet, telling himself that he is unable to stop this wedding alone and if he wants anything to be done, he needs to start putting more trust in other people.

Gabriel nudges him. “I should probably go and find him now before he disappears off somewhere.”

Castiel nods, sitting upright to let Gabriel get up. “Okay.”

Before he stands, Gabriel turns to Dean and says, “So, Deano, can I trust you to look after my brother?”

Dean’s mouth tilts up into a sincere smile. “I’d give my life if it meant keeping him safe.”

Gabriel returns the smile, and holds out a hand for Dean to shake. “Good. Although let’s hope things never go that far; Cassie seems kind of fond of you.”

Dean returns the handshake, and Castiel beams. This is ultimately all he’s wanted since Dean and he got together; for his family to be accepting of him and to treat Dean with the respect and civility that he deserves.

“Alright,” Gabriel says, standing up. “As much as I hate to cut the bonding session short, I need to find Michael now. He’s our starting point; once we’ve got him, then we need to start working on Dad and some of the council members.”

Castiel nods. “Thank you so much, Gabe.”

“Don’t mention it, Cassie.”

Gabriel heads towards the door but turns back to the two of them just before he turns the handle to leave, winking and saying:

“I’ll catch up with you guys later, okay? We’ve got a council to overthrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only two chapters left and I'm starting to get emotional lol
> 
> Please leave a comment and tell me your thoughts! I love writing this story but being able to talk about it with you just motivates me more; it's nice to be reminded that there's a real person on the other end of the computer!
> 
> [Link to my tumblr](http://wingit-spn.tumblr.com/)


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With time quickly running out, can Castiel, Dean and their allies find a way to stop the wedding?

The next time Castiel is faced with Michael comes around far sooner than he’d been expecting. After a morning of relaxing in bed with Dean, allowing the velvety timber of his protector’s voice to soothe him and his nerves, the two of them get up for a walk and a change of scenery.

They wander down the hallway together hand in hand, neither of them caring that they don’t have a clear destination in mind. They deliberately avoid any discussion about Gabriel and whether he’s managed to get through to Michael yet since they are both aware of how Castiel’s anxiety has a habit of controlling his emotions these days.

Instead, Castiel only focuses on the feeling of Dean’s warm, solid hand in his, squeezing the calloused fingers and relishing in the sensation when Dean squeezes right back. It’s a warmth that’s more than just something physical; it’s an emotion that resides in his heart and grows at every touch Dean and he share, spreading through his bones and lifting him until he almost feels weightless.

Castiel doesn’t want to imagine how heavy, how _cold_ he’s going to feel if this sensation is snatched away from him.

It turns out to be an accident, how they end up seeing Michael. Their casual saunter is cut short when someone barrels around the corner at the end of the hallway and almost knocks Castiel to the ground, thoroughly unprepared for such an assault.

“S-sorry!” It’s Michael, standing with both hands up as a sign of apology. He looks properly at Castiel as he’s righted by Dean, and he does a small double take. “C-Castiel.”

Castiel places a hand over his heart, willing it to slow as he recovers from the surprisingly aggressive meeting with his brother. “Michael.”

Michael looks at him for several seconds with wide eyes and an open mouth, like he’s poised to speak but with no words actually coming out. Castiel stays quiet and waits for him to make the first move. He’s always been cautious around Michael; whilst Gabriel is approachable and friendly, Michael still has an air of ‘big brother’ about him that makes Castiel nervous to talk back to him.

Michael finally breaks his silence, eyes darting to Dean before landing on Castiel, though they seem to focus around his chin rather than his eyes. “Um, I don’t know if you’ve seen Gabriel… but I talked to him not long ago.”

“You did?” Wow, Gabriel works fast.

“Yeah, he, um… he told me about what was said between you two last night. About what _you’d_ said.”

Castiel looks up at Michael with wide and hopeful eyes, nodding. “Yeah?”

Michael clears his throat. “Well, it got me thinking. Maybe… maybe we’ve been a little harsh on you. You’re only sixteen, after all, obviously being forced into an arranged marriage would make you act like such a brat.”

Castiel can’t help rolling his eyes. What a delightful apology. “Glad you see things from my point of view.”

Michael huffs. “C’mon, you know I’m not good with this sort of thing. I guess I’m just trying to say that I… shouldn’t have ignored you for so long. I should’ve given you a proper chance to explain all of this first. I should’ve… been a better brother to you.”

The corners of Castiel’s mouth tilts up into a smile, chest warming as he teases, “So you’re saying…?”

A pink tinge rushes up from under Michael’s collar, and he looks down at the ground like a child who’s been caught misbehaving. “I’m saying… that I’m sorry. I was wrong.”

Castiel allows his face to break into a wide smile, overjoyed that in the space of twenty four hours he’s managed to get _both_ of his brothers back on his side. From the blush on Michael’s cheeks and the way his head is downturned, Castiel can tell that he truly means his apology. Michael is not the type to let himself be vulnerable in front of others and admit that he’s wrong unless he really means it, and for him to drop his guard in front of Castiel _and_ Dean proves just how guilty he is feeling.

So Castiel shocks Michael by lunging forwards and tackling him with a hug. “Thank you, Michael. I forgive you.”

Michael huffs out a laugh, trying to remain upright as he supports Castiel. “I should’ve come to you sooner. And Gabriel. We were both jerks.”

Castiel steps away, his smile falling into something sadder. “Well, I can’t blame you two entirely. You were getting your information from some very unreliable sources.”

Michael’s mouth tightens into a thin line. “You’re telling me. The council used to be something I looked up to, but now… the people on there have made a mockery of it.”

Castiel nods. For years now Michael has been expressing an interest in becoming a permanent member of the council instead of just acting as one of the many advisors the Kingdom has. Whilst their father agrees that Michael would be an excellent addition to the council, he cannot allow it because for centuries there has only been space on the council for five members plus the King. The positions usually get passed down through family lines with members only retiring when they are physically unable to contribute anymore, so it may be a long time before Michael has a chance at a position.

Michael sighs wistfully, and then suddenly looks up at Dean as though he’s only just realised he’s there. Castiel also turns his attention to his lover, squeezing his bicep in silent reassurance.

Poor Dean has had to spend a lot of time recently around Castiel’s family, and Castiel knows that he struggles to feel comfortable. It’s a tricky situation; whilst he’s Castiel’s lover, he’s also still a servant and nobody seems to know how to communicate with him because of it. Dean usually stays quiet when Castiel’s family is around but Castiel doesn’t _want_ that. He wants Dean to feel unafraid to speak up, like an equal.

Michael glances at Castiel as though he’s looking for approval, for permission, before giving Dean an uneasy smile. “Dean, right?”

Dean just nods, eyes a little wider than usual. The tense line of his jaw gives away his nervousness.

Michael continues. “You know, I’m not just apologising to Castiel about what’s happened; I’m apologising to you as well. I’m sorry you’ve been… dragged into all of this just because you’re a servant.”

Castiel is about to jump in and gush about how Dean is so much _more_ than a servant but bites his tongue as he reminds himself that Dean has a voice too, and he should be allowed to use it.

“Thanks, Michael. I think I can forgive you. But only if…” Dean says, making Castiel and Michael raise their eyebrows at the demanding tone. “You help us stop this wedding. Cas needs his family right now and we need all the help we can get.”

Michael directs his gaze back to Castiel, stunned and ever so slightly impressed by Dean’s bold words. “I’ll do what I can. I’m not sure _what_ I can but I’ll try my best. I think after all of the shit that’s happened, you two deserve something good.”

X

The following week passes by in a blur. After the reconciliation with Michael, Gabriel had done his best to trap certain members of the council for long enough to try and convince them that it’s time to stop being bullied by Raphael and Uriel and fix their broken system… but none of them had been swayed. In fact, they’d gone out of their way to avoid Gabriel and Michael because of it, not wanting to be involved in anything to do with Raphael or Uriel but not giving an actual reason why. It only further proves Castiel’s theory that Dean and he aren’t the only ones Raphael has threatened.

After the first failed attempt, Castiel’s anxiety had shot back through the roof and it’d taken Dean and Gabriel a long hour to fully calm him down. Gabriel had told him that it was fine, it was only the first day of them trying and they’ve still got plenty of time to convince the council.

But one day had turned into two, which turned into three, and all of a sudden it’s been a whole week and still none of the council are refusing to help, all too consumed with their own fears of what Raphael and Uriel might do if any of them try to speak their minds.

It’s Wednesday, now. The time bomb in Castiel’s head is starting to ring, a deafening and loud alarm in his mind that leaves him reeling.

“Castiel?”

Gabriel’s voice, low and worried, breaks through Castiel’s hazy thoughts and brings him crashing back into the room.

They’re sat at a table in one of the smaller studies, along with Dean, Balthazar and Michael. The five of them have gotten together for another brainstorm, though these days they don’t seem to do anything but repeat what’s already been said, suggesting options that have long gone stale.

“Yeah, I’m listening,” Castiel mumbles.

“So let me get this straight,” Dean says to the group, head resting on one palm as though he doesn’t have the energy to stay properly upright. “If the council aren’t going to be any help, which at this rate it doesn’t look like they’re going to be… do we not have anyone else at all who can do something?”

Nobody gives a clear answer, all of them falling into a contemplative silence for a long moment before they all come to the same, bleak conclusion. The now familiar lump in Castiel’s throat rises again, threatening to choke him as he wills back another flood of tears.

Michael is the first one to speak. Whilst Gabriel usually takes on the role of leader whenever they all get into a discussion, Michael puts his older age and experience to good use by acting as the voice of reason. “Castiel, I think we need to start acknowledging the fact that there is a good chance this wedding _isn’t_ going to be cancelled.”

Castiel and even Balthazar immediately begin to protest. “But it _has_ to be –”

“It’s the only way –”

Michael holds a hand up, shushing them. “Let me finish. Just because the wedding is still gonna happen doesn’t mean that Castiel is definitely going to get married.”

All four of them frown at him.

Michael rolls his eyes, as if it’s the simplest answer in the world. “What if you two go into hiding?”

Everyone’s gaze turns to Castiel, and he swallows under the attention. He’s already had this conversation with Dean a number of weeks ago; whilst going into hiding would certainly help them escape from their problems, it wouldn’t actually solve anything.

“I…” Castiel stammers, voice high and quiet. “I don’t know…”

Dean reaches over and takes hold of Castiel’s hand. “Cas, I understand what you said before about not wanting to run from our problems, I really do. But we all know that we’re running out of options, now. What if running away is the _only_ way we can stay together?”

Castiel’s eyes drop down to his lap, his hand still loose in Dean’s grasp. Yes, he knows at this point, running away may be the last sensible solution that they have. But despite all the talk and attitude he gives about how independent he is, spending his entire lifetime confined within the castle walls has really done a number on his confidence. Just the thought of being pushed into the real world with no preparation and no support makes his lungs tighten up, holding the air inside them like a vice and refusing to let it go.

How would he cope, going from a life of luxury to potentially having to survive out on the streets the same way Dean did when he was Castiel’s age?

Castiel sighs, praying that nobody notices the way all of the colour has left his face. “Where would we even go? Where _could_ we go where I wouldn’t be recognised?”

Balthazar speaks up. “You could hide out at my house? Until it’s safe for you to travel elsewhere?”

Castiel looks up at his friend, heart missing a beat. “Really? Your father wouldn’t give us away?”

“He wouldn’t say a word to anybody, not if I asked him not to.”

Gabriel glances at Michael for approval before looking at Castiel with raised eyebrows. “It could work. If we help you get out of the castle during the night, you two could escape to Balthazar’s?”

Balthazar nods. “I can talk it all through with my father so he’ll know to expect you.”

“Say we wait until everyone has gone to bed,” Gabriel explains. “Michael and I can cause a distraction of some kind to give Cassie and Dean long enough to sneak out of the castle. We can even plan a route to make sure you miss all of the guards; maybe you could escape through one of the back entrances. Balthazar can meet you there and take you back to his house, and then his father can vouch for you if our Dad comes looking.”

Castiel’s eyes fall back to his lap and he hides both hands under the table so nobody can see him wringing them. It’s a logical plan, he can’t fault that. From the looks on everyone’s faces it seems to be the best solution they can come up in the limited time they have left. Dean in particular looks thankful, his brow smoothed out after weeks of frowning, and Castiel certainly doesn’t want to be the one responsible for taking Dean’s relief away.

“What do you think, Cas?” Dean asks, eyes bright and hopeful.

Castiel looks from Dean, to his brothers, to his best friend to see four sets of wide and expectant eyes. They’re waiting for him to say yes and after all of their support Castiel doesn’t want to disappoint or frustrate them by being awkward.

Yes, it’s a scary world out there and the thought of living outside of the castle for the first time in his life is one that makes his stomach turn over, but Castiel needs to remind himself that he’s not going to be alone. He’s going to be with the love of his life who he knows will protect him and keep him safe no matter what.

Plus, it’s not as though he’ll _never_ see his family again. The fight will still continue; it’ll just take longer for them to win it, now.

So Castiel breathes out, and nods. “Okay. But we’ll wait until the night before. If it gets to the night before and there’s still no other option then… I’ll go.”

X

Castiel hopes with all of his heart that his father is going to change his mind within the next three days. Whilst Castiel has resided himself to the fact that he’s going to be leaving his home on Friday night, he still hasn’t let himself give in completely. There’s still time, however short, for the wedding to be called off.

He, as well as Gabriel and Michael, try to search for their father to make one last attempt at getting through to him in the hope that the three of them together will finally be able to sway him. And it probably would’ve worked, if they’d actually been able to find the King.

But he seems to have dropped off the face of the Earth. Nobody sees him for the whole of Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, and Castiel whole-heartedly believes that he’s hiding on purpose. Perhaps he knows that if his children spoke to him now, he’d give in.

Castiel scowls at the thought of his father still choosing to side with the council, but he has to remind himself that he doesn’t know what Raphael or Uriel has said to him over the previous couple of months. Maybe they have been making threats of some kind, and the King has simply had no other choice.

Regardless of the reasoning behind the King’s sudden disappearance, it still crushes the last shred of Castiel’s hopefulness like a vice.

Friday evening rolls around, and the time has nearly come.

Castiel and Dean move about their bedroom in silence, each holding a backpack and selecting a minimal amount of items to take with them. It takes Castiel far longer than Dean to pack; he has a hundred possessions that he finds himself unable to let go of – “But we _might_ need it.” “Cas, we’re not taking a three foot tall teddy bear. Put it down.” – and he spends a long time gazing fondly around the room he may not see again for a very long time.

He pretends not to see Dean watching him out of the corner of his eye. He doesn’t want his protector to feel anymore guilty than he already does.

They’d finished finalising their plan with Gabriel and Michael a few hours ago. At eleven o’clock, Gabriel is going to come shouting down the hallway for the guards outside Castiel’s bedroom, claiming that Michael has injured himself and they need to come quickly. They’re going to keep the guards in Michael’s room for as long as they can, giving Castiel and Dean enough time to sneak out of their room and down towards the servant’s kitchen door through the route they’d carefully planned out earlier.

Once out, Castiel and Dean are going to meet Balthazar who will escort them out of the castle into the back of a carriage, hiding them there. Balthazar will then ask one of the horse riders to take him back home, allowing Castiel and Dean to slip past the guards at the gate undetected.

From there… well, it’ll pretty much be up to Castiel and Dean to fend for themselves.

They’ve only got forty-five minutes left before Gabriel causes the distraction. They’re almost ready, both fully dressed with their bags packed, but Castiel cannot seem to sit still. He’s wandering around, trailing his fingers over his books, his dresser, the many clothes still in his closet that he hadn’t had space for in his bag. He’s committing everything to memory as he goes. Possessions aren’t everything and he knows that but after being surrounded by them for his entire life, it’s difficult to let them go.

Castiel finally turns away from it all and looks to Dean who’s perching on the bed, hands clasped in his lap.

After all of Castiel’s initial panic at the thought of leaving home, he has been reminding himself over the last few days of the reason why he’s going through with all of this. Not many people are lucky enough to find the love of their life this young. Some might not find theirs at all. Castiel doesn’t consider himself a religious person but he thanks the Gods each and every night that he’s been blessed with such luck to meet his love and have a chance at a full and happy life with him. They’re here, they’re together, a little worse for wear after a long time of being beaten down by others, but they’re still strong. They’ll make it through. Castiel has every faith that Dean will care for and protect him with everything he has, and Castiel vows to do the same in return.

That is what’s making it easier for Castiel to leave. His clothes and a three foot teddy bear are replaceable. The beacon of light who’s currently sitting on his bed is not.

A gentle smile settles on Castiel’s face, and he approaches his protector. Dean looks up at him with slightly widened eyes, back straightening in anticipation as he starts to speak. “You oka– _mph._ ”

Castiel silences him with a kiss, leaning down and cupping Dean’s face to tilt his chin up and bring his lips closer. Dean’s hands find Castiel’s waist, the warmth from his palms transferring through Castiel’s jacket and bringing goosebumps to the surface of his skin. He drops several slow kisses on Dean’s lips before drawing away, smiling as he does.

Dean looks blissed out, eyes taking several seconds to open even after Castiel has pulled away. “What was that for?”

Castiel hums. “I’m happy. Relieved we’re gonna make it after all.”

Dean returns the smile, his features brightening. “We’re gonna be okay, Cas. I swear on my life.”

The sound of heavy footsteps moving rapidly down the hallway outside pulls their attention away from each other, and they both frown at the door.

“Is that Gabriel?” Dean asks. “He’s early.”

But Gabriel doesn’t start shouting at the guards the way he’d planned to. In fact, there’s no sound at all that accompanies the nearing footsteps, giving Castiel and Dean no sign as to what Gabriel is doing out there. They both stay frozen in position, trying to work out what he could be doing when the sound of the door handle being turned makes them jump.

But it’s not Gabriel who enters, and it’s not Michael either.

It’s the King.

Castiel’s heart leaps into his throat, and he flounders as Dean shoots up beside him. The evidence of what they’re about to do is displayed as clear as day; they’re fully dressed despite the late hour, their backpacks are sitting ready at the foot of the bed and the matching wide-eyed expressions they are both wearing is enough of a sign alone.

The King looks from the bags to their clothes before he settles on Castiel. His eyes are wide, and his face is pale.

“Were you… _going_ _somewhere_?” he demands.

Castiel gulps.

They stare at each other for a long moment, time standing still and collapsing around them as Castiel’s ears thump, pounding with the sound of his own heartbeat.

The tension isn’t broken by a voice; it’s shattered by an action. Two guards behind the King begin to move forward, and it manages to snap Castiel out of his reverie.

They march towards Dean. Castiel knows exactly what they’re about to do and despite knowing that he’s outnumbered and severely disadvantaged by his lack of strength, he throws himself in front of Dean to protect him.

“Don’t you _dare_ ,” he starts to spit at the guards, voice as fast and panicked as his own racing pulse. “Don’t you dare take him, don’t, _please –_ ”

The guards push him to the side as though he’s the weight of a feather. Dean fights back when they grab him and true to his training and incredible strength, he holds them off long enough for the King to have to call in the two guards that had already been stationed outside Castiel’s bedroom.

Castiel is no fighter but he does what he can with what Dean has taught him, kicking the guards in all the fragile places but being powerless to stop them when they force Dean’s arms to the side, handcuff him and start to drag him away.

“ _No!_ ” Castiel cries out as one of the guards locks him in a hold to stop him attacking the others. “Daddy, _stop them_ , why are you doing this?!”

His father, who has been watching the struggle with a carefully applied blank mask, simply says, “We don’t want any _disturbances_ tomorrow.”

Uncontrollable tears begin to spurt from Castiel’s eyes, and he tries furiously to blink them away. This is all his fault; if he hadn’t been such a baby and just escaped with Dean days ago like everyone had suggested, then this wouldn’t have happened. They’d have been long gone by now, free from their enemies and everyone who’d doubted them.

But no, he’d had to _wait_. He’d had to drag this out, playing with fire as he refused to let go of the last of his childish hope. And now Dean is being punished for it.

“Where are you taking him?!” Castiel demands, driving an elbow into the stomach of the guard who holds him in an attempt to free himself but to no avail.

“To the dungeon,” is all his father replies with. Instead, he turns to address the guards. “Three of you escort Dean down there immediately. Send two more men up here to guard the balcony, and I want four men outside the door, minimum. Nobody comes into this room, nobody goes out.”

The guards nod, and frogmarch Dean out of the room without another word. Castiel can see his protector struggling but the handcuffs limit his movements greatly, rendering him essentially immobile as the guards take him away.

Castiel doesn’t even catch a final glimpse of Dean’s face.

He screeches, blood boiling as he squirms in the grasp of the guard still clutching him. Even though the guard doesn’t lessen his hold, it doesn’t diminish Castiel’s attacks. Red hot anger courses through him; anger at his father for treating him this way, anger at Raphael and Uriel for being the ones responsible for his father’s behaviour in the first place, anger at his brothers for not hearing the ruckus, anger at the guards for being too strong and anger at _himself_ for not being braver to take the plunge and escape earlier.

Everyone ignores him as guards bustle in and out of his room, the ones who’d left with Dean quickly being replaced by more who go out onto the balcony and station themselves there.

The King stands rooted to the same spot, waiting until the guards are all correctly positioned before nodding at the one behind Castiel to finally release him. Castiel nearly falls to the ground, struggling to regain his balance as the guard walks away from him towards the door.

The King turns on his heel too and follows the guard out, only casting one final thing back before he leaves:

“Get some rest, Castiel. You’re getting married tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am now the proud owner of a 100K+ word fic and good golly, that’s a lot of words. 
> 
> Sorry for the delay; at first I was working more and physically didn’t have the time to write, and then I had to get over a mean case of writer’s block.
> 
> The last chapter won’t be up next week; I already know it’s gonna be loooong and will take me a lot longer to write (plus it’s the last one, so it has to be perfect). I’m going to upload it on Thurs 5th January, if all goes to plan.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this penultimate chapter, my darlings, please leave a comment to make a writer happy!
> 
> [Link to my tumblr](http://wingit-spn.tumblr.com/)


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tick, tick, tick. 
> 
> Time is running out, and so are Castiel's options.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boy, am I happy to be uploading this. It’s a long one, my loves, so get yourselves a hot drink and a cosy blanket, snuggle up and enjoy.
> 
> The end of the road is near.

The only thing that Castiel is able to remember from that night is that it is long. After Dean had been taken away and his father had locked him inside his bedroom, Castiel had flown into a wild rage. Hitting out at anything and everything his hands could reach; Castiel had sent the room into an utter chaos of upturned furniture and broken possessions.

It does nothing to dowse the fire in his body. The flames still burn away, hot and raging as Castiel’s chest heaves with the exertion of his actions.

It isn’t enough.

Nothing seems to be enough. No matter how many books he rips or glasses he smashes, his mind still reels with the knowledge that his lover, who he should have been lost to the night with by now, is trapped in the dungeons whilst Castiel is up here counting down the hours until his own wretched wedding. His heart cries out for Dean, aching within his tightened chest.

The hot tears that slip down Castiel’s face go ignored. He’s barely aware of them most of the time. They do nothing to quell his boiling blood, and so he pays them no interest aside from brushing them away with the back of his fist. Twice, Castiel hurtles himself at the bedroom door and tries to get out despite not having a clue as to how such an escape could be successfully executed. He doesn’t even make it out of the door; it’s locked from the outside and no amount of kicking and hitting the wood or screaming curse words is enough to make the guards open it.

The knuckles on his right hand split and a notable crack in his toes makes him wince but he doesn’t give up. He turns his attention to the balcony instead and dashes over to the doors. This time, he actually manages to open the door and cross the threshold but within half a second he is grabbed by the guard stationed out there, who lifts him clean off the ground and forces him back inside.

Castiel presses his hands to his mouth and lets out a muffled scream. Without Dean here to calm him Castiel struggles to remain level-headed and whilst he isn’t usually the type to act out quite so aggressively, he thinks his current situation warrants a little bit of irrational behaviour.

But eventually, his own exhaustion catches up with him and pulls his body to the ground. He takes deep breaths from where he sits slumped against the side of his bed, face crumpled under the weight of his anxiety. Is this how animals at the zoo feel? On display, suffocated, and so very trapped? Castiel thinks he is able to sympathise with them more now.

He falls into a fitful sleep, vivid dreams swirling about his brain that flood his senses and stop him from properly drifting off.

He wakes again with the sun. Blinking around and wincing at the crick in his neck from where he’d slept slumped against the mattress, Castiel stands on shaking legs and glances around.

He hadn’t paid too much attention to the destruction he’d left behind during his rampage last night but now, with the first rays of sun highlighting the room in streaks, he finally looks properly.

Shame is added to the cauldron of swirling emotions within his stomach. He knows he shouldn’t have taken his anger out on his things this way but he’d been uncontrollable; never before has he felt so utterly helpless that he’d been unable to do anything but lash out and attack whatever he could reach.

He spends an hour picking through the room and gingerly clearing away whatever isn’t broken. The things that cannot be saved are swept into one corner; he’ll deal with them later. If there even is an opportunity for later.

A knock at the door makes Castiel perk up, back ramrod straight as his mind rapidly sorts through who the visitor might be.

The door is opened with caution, and a head pokes through to look around before entering fully.

It’s Gabriel, and Castiel breathes a sigh of relief.

After Dean had been taken last night Castiel had heard Gabriel and Michael outside, arguing with the guards as they’d tried to get in. But the guards had been under strict instructions to not let anybody enter so no amount of threats or bickering had been enough. Castiel’s brothers had called out to him not to lose faith, that there was still time and they _were_ going to fix this, and then they’d gone.

Gabriel’s eyes don’t settle on Castiel straightaway; they’re understandably drawn to the mess still decorating the floor, not nearly as bad as it’d been an hour ago but still enough to make Gabriel’s eyebrows rise. He finally finds Castiel where he is sat on the floor sweeping the remains of a broken vase into his open hand, tiny shards of glass leaving little cuts and drops of blood wherever they land.

“Oh, _Cassie_.” Gabriel’s voice is ladened with emotion. He hurries over to Castiel and takes hold of his wrist, tipping off the broken glass and inspecting the state of his injuries. The cuts, combined with his scratched knuckles from hitting the door in the night, make a sorry sight.

Gabriel dashes to the adjoining bathroom for a cup of water and tissues, returning with his makeshift first aid supplies and cleaning Castiel’s hands as best as he can.

“We’ll need some rubbing alcohol if we really want to clean these,” Gabriel mumbles, more to himself than anyone else. When he’s finished, he sets aside the water and squeezes Castiel’s knee, brow furrowed and eyes sad. “Looks like you’ve had a rough night, bunny.”

It breaks down the barrier behind Castiel’s eyes, a stream of fat tears pouring out and progressing into ugly sobs. He lets Gabriel sweep him up into a hug, holding him up as he struggles to stay upright.

“T-this…” Castiel wails, hiccupping as he tries to get his words out. “Th-this is… all my _f-fault_.”

“What’s your fault?”

“If… If I’d agreed to g-go on W-Wednesday then this wouldn’t have h-ha-happened!”

“Okay, shush, you,” Gabriel says, voice firm. “It’s nobody’s fault that this happened; you couldn’t have known that they were going to take Dean. _None_ of us knew. I’m not gonna let you blame yourself for it.”

It does nothing to slow the flow of Castiel’s tears, and he clings to his brother with wounded hands. Whilst he doesn’t believe Gabriel in the slightest, he knows that there’s no point quibbling about the ‘what if’s’ now.

Gabriel seems to understand this, too. As he rocks Castiel, he mumbles words of reassurance to him. “Don’t you worry, Cassie, there’s still time. We’re gonna help you and Dean, okay? You’re not getting married today. We’re gonna stop it. There’s still time.”

Castiel pulls back far enough to tilt his head up and gaze at Gabriel. “But _how_ are we gonna stop it? The wedding is in a few hours and Dean’s still locked up in the dungeon!”

He sees Gabriel’s eyes flash for a moment, a tiny but sure sign of unease. Gabriel doesn’t know what they’re going to do either. It’s sweet that he’s putting on a brave face for Castiel but what good is that going to do in a few hours’ time when he and Inias are pronounced legally wed?

But Gabriel is nothing if not determined, and the nervousness is gone from his features faster than it appeared.

“Right, it looks like it’s time to improvise. I’m gonna go and round up some help, okay? We need a Plan B and we’re not gonna find it sitting in a pile of broken glass.”

Gabriel helps Castiel to his feet, guiding him away from the glass and settling him on the edge of the bed. Castiel looks up at his brother with wide eyes, awaiting a magical solution of some sort.

“What should I do?” Castiel asks, prompting his brother who is stood with a hand on his chin as he ponders.

Gabriel raises an eyebrow at him. “You? You’re gonna stay exactly where you are.”

Castiel’s mouth drops open. “What?! _No_ , what good is that going to do?”

“Cassie, no offence, but if you suddenly disappear and somebody notices, which they _will_ , it’ll be anarchy. Imagine the size of the search party. No, you need to stay in here until the last minute; we need to rescue Dean first.”

Castiel gulps. He’s supposed to just sit here and rely on everyone else to rescue Dean? How utterly _useless_ does that make him feel? “How are you gonna do that?”

Gabriel turns his head to look at the door, eyes narrowing as ideas swarm around his head. “Leave it to me, Cassie.”

Castiel flounders when Gabriel suddenly strides off towards the door, swinging it open and marching past the guards out there without even glancing back. “W-wait!”

But Gabriel has already gone. Castiel sighs to himself, back slumping as he starts to fiddle with his fingernails. He supposes there’s nothing else for him to do now but wait.

The ticking of the clock is grating. Every sound is a reminder, a countdown, and the fact that Castiel is powerless to do anything to stop it makes his jaw clench to the point of pain. What on Earth is he supposed to do with himself as he waits here? The hallway outside his bedroom is suspiciously quiet, giving no indication as to what the other people in the castle are doing. Is his bedroom being avoided on purpose? Where’s Michael, or his father? What are _they_ doing right now?

Gabriel is gone for a whole forty-five minutes, and it’s a wonder that in that time Castiel doesn’t pull his own hair out. The first sound of his door handle being turned makes him freeze and look up from where he’d been pacing, eagerly awaiting _any_ kind of human interaction.

Gabriel pokes his head around the door the same way he did earlier, though this time he greets Castiel with the barest hints of a smile. Castiel briefly acknowledges the fact that the guards are now able to allow guests into the room; it seems as though the King has loosened the reigns now that there is a very slim of the impending wedding being sabotaged.

“Hey, Cassie. Guess what? I found some friends.”

Gabriel opens the door fully and lets himself in, closely followed by Michael, Balthazar and…

Benny?

Castiel’s eyebrows find his hairline, and he blinks from the grimacing guard to his smiling brother.

“This is Benny; he’s friends with Dean, right?” Gabriel says, clapping Benny on the shoulder. “If anyone’s gonna know how to get past the guards in the dungeon, it’s one of the guards themselves!”

Castiel’s mouth opens and closes a few times before he manages to find his voice. He’s having a hard time believing that Benny, who seems to have taken quite a dislike to him, is willing to help. “You’re really gonna help us?”

Benny grunts. “I can’t promise anything but I can try. Dean’s my friend and I don’t wanna see him hurt.”

“Speaking of hurt!” Balthazar suddenly exclaims, rushing forwards to take hold of Castiel’s hands. “Cassie, what on Earth have you done?!”

“Oh.” Castiel’s cheeks tinge pink, embarrassed over his wild actions during the night. “I… I accidentally cut myself.”

Balthazar presses a kiss to the back of each hand. “You poor thing; these look painful.”

“I’m not surprised you managed to injure yourself,” Michael observes. “I doubt you slept much since you look like shit.”

“Not one to beat around the bush, are you, Mikey?” Balthazar scoffs.

“And neither am I,” Benny interjects. “Is there a plan here or what?”

“Kind of,” Gabriel says, rubbing the back of his neck. “Since you’re the one that’ll look the least suspicious, we thought we’d leave you to get Dean out while we postpone the wedding for as long as we can. I’m not sure how long we’ll be able to hold it off though; you’ll have to free Dean as quickly as you can.”

Benny lets out a quiet whistle. “I can probably get Dean out but I can’t promise it’ll be quick. There are a lotta guards down there right now.”

Castiel’s chest immediately tightens, panic rising up his throat and forcing its way out of his body through a series of rushed words. “B-but, it _has_ to be quick, the wedding is starting in an hour and a half! If Dean isn’t out by then, then… then…”

Gabriel hurries over to rub Castiel’s back as Balthazar squeezes his hands, both of them doing their best to calm him.

“I-It’ll be okay, Cassie,” Gabriel says. “It’ll be close but I’m sure we’ll manage it. We’re gonna need to start right away, though. Benny?”

“I’m on it.” Benny gives Castiel one final nod before turning towards the door. “I’ll do my best, Your Highness. I know how happy you make Dean and I don’t want that to be taken away.”

Castiel nods in return.

As Benny starts to leave, Balthazar calls out to him, “Wait! Do you need any help? I could come with you?”

Benny pulls the most unimpressed face Castiel has ever seen. “God, no.”

With that, he exits, leaving Balthazar to scoff, “Well, that’s the last time I try to do something nice.”

Gabriel brushes Balthazar’s dismay aside and turns back to Castiel. “Benny’s gone down to the dungeons now, Cassie. But he said there are at least ten guards outside Dean’s cell alone; it’s not going to be easy for him to get rid of them. He said he’ll probably have to knock most of them unconscious just to get past them and who knows how long that could take. People are starting to arrive downstairs. We’re gonna cause distractions and postpone the wedding for as long as we can but there’s only so much we’re gonna be able to do.”

Castiel nods along with what Gabriel’s saying, the deep crease between his eyebrows giving away his own apprehension. “What are you gonna do to postpone it?”

“Shit, anything we can. Hold up our father, tell people the wrong location, break all the damn chairs or something.”

“I’m gonna find the priest and lock him in a closet!” Balthazar bursts out.

“For the love of God, Balthazar,” Michael sighs. “There are _boundaries_.”

A polite but insistent knock at the door cuts their conversation short.

“Your Highness?” Castiel doesn’t recognise the female voice but by the sound of her hesitance and use of a title, she is likely a maid.

“Come in,” Michael answers for Castiel.

Sure enough, a group of maids enter the room all carrying various items for pampering Castiel with; luxurious soaps, hair products, jewels and… his wedding garments.

The sight of them makes bile rise up his throat, nausea settling in his stomach as heavy as a rock. His knees go weak and he buckles, only to be caught by Gabriel and Balthazar.

“It’s alright, Cassie,” Gabriel mumbles, kissing his hair. “Just go along with it for now. Please trust us, we’re gonna fix this for you.”

Castiel nods because he feels like he can’t do anything else. After a last hug from both his brothers and his best friend, he’s pulled away by the maids who immediately start fussing over him.

Away from the chaos, Gabriel, Michael and Balthazar all slip out of the room. Castiel takes several deep breaths to steady his mind and prays to whatever God may be up there that Benny manages to get Dean out in time.

Ninety minutes remain.

X

Castiel tugs at his collar, trying to loosen the fabric as he swallows heavily. He’s sweating, uncontrollably so, and three maids have gathered around him to fan him. God forbid he gets an ounce of sweat on his silk garments.

Nobody had returned to his bedroom whilst Castiel had been getting ready, and he has now been escorted downstairs surrounded by a harem of fussing maids and stoic guards.

There are now less than thirty minutes left before the wedding is due to begin.

It feels as though Castiel’s stomach has been filled with snakes, squirming and wriggling to the point of giving him nausea. In the company of the staff he has been unable to let out his emotions, and he has spent the past hour internally screaming as he waited for somebody, anybody to run in and announce that the wedding was off.

But there had been nothing. Castiel has no idea where his brothers or Balthazar are, and there has been no sign of a disturbance in the dungeons yet either. What’s going on? This is one of the reasons why Castiel doesn’t like leaving his fate in other people’s hands. The fear of the unknown can be crippling.

He is led into a small room just opposite the grand drawing room on the ground floor where the wedding will be taking place. This little room has been adjusted to suit the purpose of this day; all tables and chairs have been moved against the walls leaving only a couch in the middle, as well as a low wooden stool for Castiel to stand on should any alterations need to be made to his clothes.

Castiel is seated on the couch, several hands around him all reaching out to smooth down creases on his garments and readjust his styled hair.

He’s barely aware of them. His heart is beating like a jackhammer within his chest, hitting hard against his rib cage. Breathing is increasingly difficult, his throat constricting as he fails to take in enough oxygen each time.

Where is Dean? Has Benny even made it to the dungeons yet? What if Benny’s plan has been foiled and he’s just been thrown into his own cell with no way of telling anybody what’s happened?

As Castiel’s vision starts to cloud, he feels a set of warm, firm hands reaching out to cup his face. He blinks wildly, staring up at the blur of a person before him as he tries to identify who it is.

“Cassie?”

He recognises Gabriel’s voice but Castiel can still barely make out his face. He reaches out with blind hands for his brother, beginning to feel faint-headed as he tries and fails to take in enough air.

“Cassie?” Gabriel’s voice is urgent. “I think you’re having a panic attack. You’ve gotta breathe with me, okay? Feel my heart.”

Gabriel yanks one of Castiel’s hands to cover his heart, and Castiel’s other hand is placed on his own chest to help him compare the heartbeats. Gabriel’s pulse isn’t much better, still far too erratic to be considered regular, but given everyone’s elated stress today they’ll just have to make do.

“Deep breaths, Cassie,” Gabriel murmurs, following his own instructions and taking in a lungful of oxygen. Castiel listens to him and tries desperately to do the same but every time he tries, his chest tightens. Gabriel doesn’t let up though, rubbing the back of Castiel’s hand as he breathes in and out and waits with patience for Castiel to do the same.

It’s gradual, but his chest starts to loosen fraction by fraction, his surroundings clearing as his vision slowly sharpens. As he becomes aware of where he is and stares up into his brother’s wide eyes, the reality of what just happened catches up with him.

He’s never had a panic attack before. He’s been _anxious_ , sure, but his body has never shut down in such a way, leaving him in total darkness as his mind is consumed by such a dense fear.

Bile quickly rises up his throat again, and this time, Castiel doesn’t think it’s going to stop. All the colour leaves his face and his fingers tighten their grasp on Gabriel’s suit jacket again, trembling. Gabriel gets the hint straightaway, shouting at the maids to find some sort of bucket before thrusting what appears to be an empty vase under Castiel’s chin.

Castiel heaves, his stomach aching with the exertion. Having not eaten much lately there isn’t exactly much to throw up but it still hurts, still makes him weak and shaky to the point of collapsing against Gabriel’s side because he’s suddenly too tired to remain upright by himself.

Gabriel lowers the vase to the floor and it’s immediately taken away by a maid. His warm arms envelope Castiel, a comforting and familiar presence that keeps him grounded.

Castiel has no idea how long they stay there like that, clinging to each other as Gabriel mumbles quiet words of reassurance to him. In the back of his mind he can still hear the time bomb, and he knows they’re getting ever closer to the end. How many minutes had he lost to the panic attack?

He lifts his head up from where he’d had his face pressed against Gabriel’s neck and twists to glance at the clock on the fireplace.

His heart lurches. Five minutes left.

Gabriel sees him looking and shushes him. “Don’t worry; we’ve managed to hold the wedding off a bit. We locked the doors in the main hallway and hid the key so nobody could get through; they’ve had to go the long way round. It’s added fifteen minutes or so. Plus they’ve gotta get everyone seated in the right place.”

“H-have…” Castiel’s voice is weak and uneven. “Have you heard from Benny yet?”

Gabriel is quiet for a few long seconds. “No. No, not yet.”

Castiel is about to launch into another panic, mouth already poised with the many questions that leap into his head when they’re interrupted by a knock at the door. A guard opens the door for them, and in walks their father.

Castiel’s stomach drops. If his father is here then that means… the wedding must not be far off.

His body flushes hot and cold as if it cannot make it’s mind up, a realisation settling heavily within him. Even if Benny manages to get Dean out… what could they do now? How the hell would Castiel and Dean be able to sneak out now that the King is here and they are surrounded by more people than Castiel can count?

Is it already too late?

Gabriel has a few choice words to say to their father as soon as he enters. He leaves Castiel slumped on the couch as he marches over to their father and squares up to him, the several inch difference in height doing nothing to weaken him.

“Well?” Gabriel demands. “Has the wedding been called off yet or not?”

Their father looks pale. “No, of course not. How could I call it off now with everybody here?”

“I don’t give a _fuck_ that everybody is here. That wouldn’t make any difference if you put Castiel’s happiness first!” Gabriel points an aggressive finger in Castiel’s direction, keeping his eyes firmly fixed on their father. “Look at your child! He’s just had his first panic attack because of what _you’ve_ done. Aren’t you going to do _anything_ to fix it?”

The father pointedly avoids looking at Castiel. “Argue with me all you want, Gabriel, but this is the _right_ thing to do. I know you won’t see that now but in time you’ll understand. Castiel would never survive a life with a servant and I’m doing what I need to do to keep him safe!”

Gabriel’s jaw clenches, and he exhales sharply through his nose. Castiel has never seen Gabriel look so severe before; it’s unnerving to see his usually smirking face consumed with such intense fury. “You know, I never thought I could be this ashamed to call you my father.”

Their father’s reaction is minute, but Castiel notices it anyway. His Adam’s apple jumps as he gulps, eyes flashing for the briefest second before settling into the usual blank mask he wears these days. “The wedding is starting in fifteen minutes. Go and find your seat; I don’t want to hear any more from you.”

Gabriel doesn’t respond. He stares at their father long and hard, eyes blazing and mouth thin before storming away and returning to Castiel. He places both hands on Castiel’s cheeks to tilt his face up before kissing his forehead.

“Have faith, Castiel,” he murmurs, too quietly for anyone else to hear him. “We promised you that you wouldn’t get married today. There’s still time.”

Castiel’s voice has gone, trapped like a vice within his own throat. He knows that if he tries to speak now it’s just going to unleash a heavy stream of tears and then he really _won’t_ be able to get up. He can’t succumb to his anxiety yet. He needs to keep at least an ounce of fight alive within him.

So he only nods. Gabriel kisses his head once more before murmuring that he’s going to get back to Michael and Balthazar, and then he leaves the room with one last glare at their father.

When the door is closed behind him, a thick fog of tension forms across the room. Castiel sits with his hands fidgeting in his lap, having no interest in even looking up at his father anymore.

His father clears his throat, and starts to approach Castiel as though he’s an injured, wild animal.

“You really do look beautiful today, Castiel.”

Castiel glances down at the delicate shimmers of his brilliant white garments, silky and pure just like he’d imagined his wedding garments to look when he was a child. Upon his head sits a silver tiara embellished with sapphires – apparently designed to bring out the colour of his eyes – and the maids have also applied tiny gems across his eyelids and up towards his temples.

It really is a gorgeous wedding outfit. Castiel just wishes he could have worn it on his _own_ terms.

He still keeps his face hidden from his father’s view, knowing that his father would soon change his mind about how beautiful Castiel is if he caught sight of his pale skin and under-eye bags.

His father perches down on the couch next to him, keeping a safe several inches of distance between them. Out of the corner of his eye, Castiel sees his hands begin to fidget. Like father, like son.

His father’s voice is much softer now, almost watery. “Did you really have a panic attack?”

Castiel nods at his own lap. His father gives a shaky sigh.

“Look, Castiel, I… I didn’t think it was going to go this far, either. You just… you have to understand the pressure that I’m under… a _lot_ of people think this is the right thing to do. Even though it doesn’t feel like that now, it will do in the long-term. I just… what have you done to your hands?”

His father reaches out to take Castiel’s hands in order to get a better look at the scratches but Castiel snatches them away, ashamed of the evidence of his breakdown last night.

His father sighs, though it doesn’t seem to be directed at Castiel.

They sit in overwhelming silence as the minutes tick by. There is a small part of Castiel which is still expecting Dean and Benny to come bursting through the door at any moment but what would that do now? His father is here and he’s not going to leave again; he’s ready to walk Castiel down the aisle and Castiel doubts that Dean’s presence would be enough to sway him at this point.

The distinct sound of wedding chimes brings Castiel crashing back into the room.

He finally looks up, eyes wide and bulging, as his father takes a deep breath beside him and stands up.

“It’s time, Castiel,” he says.

Castiel’s legs have gone numb. Paralysed with fear. His heart beats in his ears as loud as a drum as the time bomb in his mind explodes, piercing and unrelenting.

The wedding is starting. Benny didn’t make it in time. They’ve lost.

“Castiel?” his father prompts when Castiel doesn’t move an inch. “That’s our cue. We need to go now.”

X

The aisle is much shorter than Castiel had expected it to be. Rows and rows of people, some faces familiar and some not, stare at him from each side as he walks, scrutinising him and probably wondering why he looks like he’s about to faint. His father gently drags him along and when that isn’t enough to move Castiel, the two guards walking behind him press hands on his back to urge him forwards.

Castiel feels like he’s wearing led for shoes. Every footstep is a chore, an inch closer to his own dreaded fate. He doesn’t dare look up at the alter where the priest and Inias stand waiting, his head repeating a mantra of ‘ _this isn’t happening’._ His eyes leak with quiet tears.

Castiel recognises more of the guests the closer he gets to the alter. The council are sitting in the first and second rows along with Gabriel, Michael, Balthazar and other close relatives including Castiel’s grandparents.

He catches Gabriel’s eye as he walks past. Gabriel looks grave, and he keeps glancing back at the door. Castiel isn’t stupid; despite what Gabriel says he is obviously worried too that Benny won’t get Dean out, and it’s looking less and less likely that Dean will be freed in time. Gabriel, Michael and Balthazar all look to be on the edges of their seats, bodies tense. Castiel wouldn’t be surprised if they attempt to make a scene at some point during the ceremony.

He reaches the small set of steps going up to the alter and after a moment of hesitating, his father guides him up. Castiel takes his place opposite Inias with his father on one side and the two guards just behind him; Castiel clearly cannot be trusted to stand up here alone.

The guests settle back down as the chimes die away, sending a ripple of quiet over the huge drawing room as everybody waits for the priest to begin the ceremony.

The priest wastes no time, smiling out at the guests and projecting his voice. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to unite Lord Inias of Greypine, and Prince Castiel of Aelam in holy matrimony.”

The sound of booing, loud and relentless, suddenly rings out from the audience, and everybody at the alter snaps around in surprise to identify the culprits. Gabriel and Balthazar, despite interrupting a priest during a sacred ceremony, show no shame and continue to voice their distain and boo like they’re watching a pantomime.

Even from his distance up on the alter Castiel can hear the two of them being angrily shushed by several people around them, and the priest makes a point of clearing his throat.

When Gabriel and Balthazar finally quieten down, the priest continues with the barest hint of hesitance now in his voice. “Th-this marriage is a sacred bond, not just between two people but between two families. It is a bond based on trust, hope and togetherness. These two people will give themselves to each other entirely to form a balanced relationship that will see them through good times and bad.”

Castiel’s gaze has fallen to his own feet, tears never breaking their stream as they drip down his cheeks and follow his jawline before slipping off his chin. It’s over. As the priest continues his speech all Castiel can think about is the fact that even his best efforts to convince everyone to accept Dean had not been enough, and how much of a failure he feels because of it. He couldn’t even convince his own _father_.

Castiel never wanted to be seen this way. He never wanted to be seen as _weak_. But as he stands here now, crying and helpless in front of a hundred people as his life is given away before his very eyes, he finds that he no longer cares. What does it matter if these people see him cry? He’s already lost Dean no matter how strong he makes himself appear.

The priest, oblivious to Castiel’s inner turmoil, goes on. “Do you both pledge to share your lives together, to be honest and selfless? Do you pledge to support and care for one another for all of your days?”

Inias answers first. “I do.”

Castiel struggles to gain an idea of what Inias is feeling in this moment. His voice is confident but lacking in emotion, and it’s difficult to identify Inias’ facial expressions since Castiel refuses to look any higher than his shoes.

Castiel has been deemed unable to answer for himself, so his father beside him speaks for him. “He does.”

“Do you pledge to grow together, to encourage the other and set an example to the people around you?”

“I do.”

“He does.”

“Do you pledge to honour each other and treat the other will the utmost respect and thoughtfulness?”

Inias sounds like he’s simply going through the motions, answering with a third, “I do.”

Castiel shudders as he awaits another response from his father on his behalf. Any last shred of Castiel’s hope has now gone, vanished along with all feelings of respect and admiration that he’d once had for his father. Even in spite of all the arguments these past couple of months, Castiel has always held on to a small yet firm belief that his father would never truly force him into an unhappy life this way, that he’d grow to understand Castiel’s point of view and love him regardless.

Apparently Castiel had been wrong.

He swallows another sob, hands falling to his sides as he drops the bouquet of white roses he’d been holding onto the ground.

But oddly enough, the third ‘He does’ from his father is taking a lot longer to arrive than the others did.

“H-he…” his father stammers. Castiel’s brows etch together, tears momentarily forgotten as he wonders why his father seems to be hesitating. “He d–”

His father’s voice is cut off mid-word.

A ruckus from behind the grand drawing room doors suddenly pulls everybody’s attention away from the alter, looking behind them and murmuring to each other as they try to work out who could be causing such a disturbance. The sound of scuffling on the hallway carpet can be heard as though there’s some kind of struggle going on, as well as numerous voices that rise in volume with each passing second.

The guards who are stationed on both sides of the door drop their hands to their swords, turning to the door and readying themselves for some sort of confrontation.

Without warning, the doors are thrust open with such force it sends the guards stumbling backwards, unprepared for such an assault. As they blunder, the people who have just broken in take the opportunity to tear past them and start to sprint down the aisle.

“ _Cas!_ ”

Castiel’s heart stops beating, his face breaking into a smile as bright as the sun.

 _Dean_.

Dean and Benny ignore the rows of shocked and gasping guests as they run, Benny stopping a few metres into the aisle to give Dean space to claim back his omega. Castiel doesn’t hesitate. Stepping over his dropped bouquet, he leaps down the short flight of steps and tears down the aisle to meet Dean in the middle, throwing himself into his alpha’s arms as fresh tears spurt from his eyes.

Cheers erupt from the first row, Gabriel, Balthazar and Michael all clapping and whooping at Dean’s return. It’s like they really _do_ think they’re at a pantomime.

Dean supports Castiel, swinging him around as he pants heavily against Castiel’s ear.

“Am I…” Dean tries to catch his breath. “Am I too late?”

Castiel shakes his head, pressing desperate kisses to the side of Dean’s face. “No. No, you’re not.”

As Dean deposits Castiel down on the floor, Castiel takes a moment to assess Dean’s appearance. The evidence of a night in the dungeon is written all over him; his clothes are crumpled and dirty from the stone ground he’d had to sit on, his hair is unclean and wild and his skin is covered in little patches of dust and soot. If all that wasn’t enough, Dean still has his handcuffs dangling off one wrist, obviously too rushed to even think about getting rid of the cuffs after he’d been freed.

Castiel doesn’t think he’s ever seen someone so beautiful.

He cups Dean’s face and brings him down for a passionate kiss, spitefully taking joy in the sounds of their stunned and indignant audience as they each voice their disapproval to the person sitting next to them.

“What is the meaning of this?!” One incensed voice in particular stands out from the crowd. Raphael stands up to point at the King and snap, “I thought you said you’d had the servant taken care of!”

“I…” The King looks pale, lost and confused. “I _did_ , he’s been locked in the dungeon since last night.”

It makes Raphael even angrier, and Castiel is convinced he actually sees a bit of steam shoot from his ears. “When I said the servant needed to be _taken care of_ , I thought you’d find a solution a little more _permanent!_ ”

The guests continue to whisper and gossip, Raphael’s words only adding more wood to the fire.

The King’s face settles into a glare. “We both knew I could never go that far.”

Castiel’s stomach rises and drops, the short exchange of words between his father and Raphael making him feel ill. But Dean is free now, the Gods have gifted Castiel and it’s time for him to take back control.

“ _Please!_ ” Castiel calls out, grasping Dean’s worn shirt for reassurance as he addresses their audience. “Everyone, I’m sure you’re feeling very confused right now. I assure you, I don’t make a habit of kissing servants but this is _different_. This is Dean, he’s been my protector for many months now and we’ve fallen in love. This wedding was only arranged as a way to break us apart, and I _won’t_ stand for it anymore. Dean is a wonderful, loving, caring man and the fact that he’s a servant shouldn’t be a reason to punish him.”

“Yeah!” Gabriel stands up, jumping onto Castiel’s bandwagon and shouting out. “Dean is a great guy and he loves Castiel, and if everyone would just _listen_ to him they’d see that too –”

Uriel interrupts Gabriel with a scoff. “I’m _not_ going to listen to the words of a filthy _servant_ , thank you very much.”

Murmurs of agreement sound out from the audience.

Castiel is about to bite back at them but Balthazar beats him to it, standing up beside Gabriel and lifting his own chair before slamming it back down with an almighty crash. The chair legs snap clean off, clattering to the floor and stunning everyone back into silence.

“ _Just give them a chance!_ ” Balthazar yells, looking rather pleased with himself for getting everybody’s attention but suddenly frowning when he realises he’s broken his own seat. He perches on Michael’s lap instead.

Castiel looks with hopeful eyes back to the alter where his father, the priest and Inias all stand with parted mouths and raised eyebrows. _This is their chance_. Whilst it’s near enough impossible for them to escape now, they have been given one last attempt at convincing Castiel’s family and the council that this marriage shouldn’t happen.

He hears Dean gulp behind him.

“Your Majesty,” Dean says, voice firm despite the slight tremor in his body. “I know you’re worried that I won’t be able to provide for Cas, and that Cas won’t be completely happy with me. But I swear in front of the priest and whatever God who may be up there that Cas will be safe and content and happy until the day I die. Do these wedding vows you’re making Cas agree to today have anything to do with money or possessions? No, because they’re not what’s important. Being wealthy doesn’t automatically make a person happy. As Cas’ father you should realise that and listen to what _he_ wants instead, because Cas is intelligent enough to know. He’s bright and talented and everything that’s good in this world, and even if you still don’t want him to be with me, at least don’t force him into this marriage today. Don’t keep him from the world this way, because he deserves so much more.”

By the time Dean has finished speaking, Castiel is gazing up at him with soft eyes and the barest hint of a smile. Dean has such a way with words. Castiel has never known anybody so straight-talking who is able to simply lay the facts out without appearing arrogant and still manage to capture the attention of everyone listening. The guests around them have not said a word during Dean’s speech, and they don’t break the silence even when he has finished.

Everyone instead looks to the King, and awaits his response.

The King looks on edge. His eyes fall from Dean to the ground, avoiding any kind of contact with the people around him. He’s quiet for so long that people start to twitch, and the priest is the one to say the first word.

“Should I continue?” His words are directed at the King, low and hesitant.

Castiel’s whole body deflates when his father nods.

The guards from the door approach them from behind, two of them seizing Dean and the other wrapping a hand around Castiel’s bicep to drag him back up the aisle and onto the alter. He lets himself be pulled, his body too weak to protest as a result of his aching heart.

The guards holding Dean start to drag him away, back down the aisle, but when the King raises a hand at them they stop still in their tracks. Castiel wonders why his father stopped the guards from taking Dean but his father makes no further movement, instead turning his attention back to the priest. The guards with Dean, not sure of their instructions now, remain still in the middle of the aisle.

Everyone’s heads dart around for several seconds, the silence heavy and overwhelming as they look at each other for explanations but don’t find any answers. This wedding is in shambles and nobody can seem to understand why it hasn’t been put out of its misery yet.

Castiel wonders how many people in this room are rooting for Dean and him.

The priest finally speaks again, repeating the last pledge in an effort to regain some normalcy to the ceremony. “Do you pledge to honour each other and treat the other will the utmost respect and thoughtfulness?”

Inias looks wildly confused, glancing from Castiel, to the King, to his own father in the first row before repeating, “I… I do?”

Satisfied that it’s enough of a response, the priest turns to Castiel’s father for the approval from Castiel too.

Castiel finally looks up at his father again, barely able to see him through the thick layer of tears once again clouding his vision. Even though his father isn’t returning the stare Castiel tries to silently communicate with him this way, pride tossed aside as he begs.

_Please don’t throw me away like this._

_Please don’t be afraid to speak your mind._

_Please do what you know is right._

It’s as though his father hears him. His head suddenly lifts, looking directly into Castiel’s eyes for the very first time since last night. Castiel watches as a hundred emotions flash through his father’s eyes, an internal battle taking place that’s unnoticeable to anyone apart from Castiel.

He doesn’t break the eye contact, unabashed tears streaking down his cheeks as his body breaks out into a sweat.

This is it. It’s now or never.

A purposeful cough from the first row distracts them both, and Castiel turns to raise his eyebrow at the person responsible.

Raphael sits with his hands clasped in his lap, legs casually crossed as he watches the scene unfold before him. Everything about his posture screams nonchalance but the flames raging in his eyes give him away, and Castiel’s eyes narrow in response. Raphael is threatening their father quite literally behind Castiel’s back, his malicious glare choking the King and preventing him from speaking.

Castiel whips his head round to look back at his father, eyes now hard as he urges his father to cast aside his trepidations and speak his _own_ thoughts instead of stating whatever he thinks the council wants him to say.

His father is still fixed on Raphael. Castiel watches as the tiniest hint of a frown reaches his forehead, a crease forming between his eyebrows. The internal battle in his eyes suddenly dies, expression stony, and he finally gives his response to the priest with a firm and unapologetic voice.

“He does not.”

A ripple of quiet gasps spread across the room, the guests immediately murmuring to each other. The priest’s eyebrows shoot up, and he begins to glance around for some sort of guidance or instruction as to what to do next. Inias’ mouth has fallen open.

But Castiel doesn’t pay them any attention. A gasp of his own escapes his mouth, face breaking into a huge smile as he processes his father’s words. He throws his arms around his still silent father, bouncing excitedly on the balls of his feet.

“Thank you, thank you,” he breathes. Whilst he still has many, _many_ strong words for his father, he decides he can save them for later because in this moment, his father has _finally_ done the right thing.

Before his father is able to answer, the sounds of indignant squawks come from the first row.

Uriel is floundering, panicking that the ceremony has gone utterly pear-shaped. “Now just wait a minute –!”

Raphael interrupts him, his voice louder and much more heated. “How dare you ruin a wedding ceremony and disrespect the priest? This is an outrage, this marriage has been organised for many months and you think you have the nerve to just –”

“ _Shut up_ , Raphael,” Castiel and his father both snap in unison.

It renders Raphael speechless for all of three seconds. “Your Majesty, in case you don’t remember, the council agreed upon this wedding because it was decided that your child was posing a threat to the reputation of our city and it’s royal family! I will _not_ let Aelam’s name be tarnished just because you have no backbone and your bitch omega child can’t keep his legs closed!”

Castiel’s breath leaves him in one rush, crimson colouring his cheeks hot and fast. His _grandparents_ are listening, for heaven’s sake.

He looks up at Dean, who is now fighting against the guards who still hold him to try and get at Raphael.

“Come and say that to my face, you bastard!” Dean growls.

The King also looks to be on the verge of spitting insults, but he appears to stop himself when he remembers the huge audience currently staring at them and thoroughly enjoying the show. So instead, the King channels his face into a blank expression, clears his throat and announces, “I think it’s time we had an emergency council meeting. _In private_.”

X

Despite the King calling for a _private_ council meeting, there are still certain people present who are definitely not actual members. Castiel, the King and the other five council members are joined by Michael and Gabriel, as well as Dean and Balthazar (who of course did not want to be left out).

The King leads everyone into a study on the ground floor, one that goes relatively unused and so is sparsely furnished. There is a round table in the centre of the room though, which a few council members sit themselves around. Balthazar immediately goes to the head chair that’s designed for the King and throws both legs over an armrest, sprawling out.

“Way more comfortable than Michael’s bony knees,” he sighs.

Everyone else remains standing. Castiel personally feels far too pumped with adrenaline to even consider sitting down as an option. The only reason he’s not frantically pacing is because he has Dean, now free from the guard’s clutches, beside him to cling to.

“Well, I’ll be the one to break the silence,” Raphael snaps, ignoring Balthazar’s little comment and folding his arms across his chest. “Your Majesty, what just happened out there was a disgrace. To even _consider_ listening to an omega or a servant is shameful enough, but to allow a hundred of Aelam’s most respected to witness it? It’s the final straw, and action must be taken.”

Castiel’s heart jumps into his throat. “What do you propose by _action_?”

“Clearly our King isn’t fit enough to rule our great kingdom anymore. I call for a dethroning.”

Castiel’s eyebrows raise and he quickly turns to his father to gage his reaction. His father simply rolls his eyes, and Castiel releases the breath he hadn’t realised he was holding. It’s good to see that the King still has his fight within him.

“And who would replace me, hm, Raphael?” The King suppresses a smirk, looking over Raphael with a single raised eyebrow. “You? Don’t make me laugh.”

Raphael bristles, cheeks flushing red. “I’ll have you know that there are many people who’d be _thrilled_ to have me as their ruler! Ask your council, I’m _sure_ they’d agree.”

Raphael shoots a vicious look at Gadreel, Bartholomew and Naomi. Castiel doesn’t miss the way the three of them squirm, looking anywhere but Raphael and remaining firmly silent.

The King ignores the other council members, not taking his eyes off of Raphael. “I’d like to think that my people would prefer a ruler who does _not_ think of omegas as objects, and would not force their well-liked omega prince into a life of unhappiness just for the sake of old-fashioned attitudes.”

Uriel is glaring now, an ugly scowl fixed upon his features. “You’ve certainly changed your tune.”

The King glances sideways at Castiel, eyes suddenly soft. “I never changed my tune. I just let the wrong people suppress it, and for that I’m sorry.”

“Well, _finally!_ ” Gabriel exclaims, hands thrown in the air. “Everyone has come back to their senses and Cassie’s marriage to Inias can be called off. It _is_ being called off, right?”

The King nods, and Castiel’s heart soars. “Yes. I’m calling off the marriage. Castiel can marry whoever he wants to.”

“Well, this is absolutely ludicrous!” Raphael bursts out, knocking over a wad of papers from the table and pushing himself to his feet. “An omega of royal blood must be wedded to an alpha with a title for the sake of their family names, it’s the _law!_ ”

Castiel, like many others in the room, opens his mouth to protest but they are all beaten to the first word by none other than Balthazar. “It’s a ridiculous and out-dated law that we shouldn’t need to honour anymore! Marriage is for _love_ , not business, and omegas don’t deserve to be used that way simply to improve one royal family’s relationship with another!”

Castiel smiles down at Balthazar, proud to be able to call him his best friend.

Uriel looks less than impressed. “I’m sorry, who are you again?”

“I’m the omega prince’s best friend,” Balthazar says, staring down Uriel with no signs of fear. “Try and hurt him and I’ll break your face. Or I’ll set Dean on you.”

“I’m not a dog, Balthazar,” Dean grumbles, though the corners of his mouth tilt up in amusement.

Raphael rolls his eyes. “Well as _touching_ as all that is, it doesn’t change the marriage laws in Aelam which have existed for hundreds of years!”

“Oh, really?” Castiel bites back, sarcasm sharp and cutting. “Have we forgotten that laws can be rewritten? If our marriage laws are as old as you say they are then I for one think it’s definitely time for a change. Who agrees?”

His family, Dean and Balthazar make affirmative noises, but Castiel doesn’t miss the way the council still doesn’t say a word. He gulps as tiny beats of sweat begin to make their way down the small of his back. The rest of the council could make or break this case. They could be the reason that Castiel and Dean are still not allowed to be together.

But he hides any sign of uncertainty he has and turns his attention to his father instead, chin high and proud. “Daddy? Will you make a motion?”

His father looks at him for a long moment, eyes dancing over his face as though he’s considering him. Castiel raises a curious eyebrow in a silent question, wondering what his father could be thinking.

“Actually, Castiel,” his father says. “Why don’t _you_ make the motion?”

Castiel is taken aback, and his mouth uselessly opens and closes a few times before he manages to actually vocalise anything. “But… only a member of the council can make a motion.”

His father smiles gently at him, eyes sparkling. “I think it’s about time Aelam’s council had its first omega member.”

Castiel’s stomach turns over. Is his father serious? A place on the council? Castiel’s mind begins to whirl, the many ideas he has for omegas and Aelam in general suddenly bouncing about his head and trying to get out. Castiel is young and inexperienced, sure, but that can be easily resolved with time and training. Even just thinking about the things he could do to help his people makes Castiel’s heart race, and endless ideas that he’d been trying to repress for years suddenly reignite at just a simple sentence from his father.

The King’s words are met with outrage. Raphael turns as red as a tomato and his voice explodes into a furious yell. “Is this your idea of a joke?! For centuries there have only been _six_ people on the council; the King and his five advisors! There is simply no room!”

“You’re absolutely right.” The King’s eyes fall to the floor and he hums, placing a finger on his chin as he feigns deep thought. “Ah, of course! He’ll replace you.”

Castiel’s mouth once again falls open with barely disguised glee as Raphael splutters.

“ _W_ - _what?_ ” Raphael spits, quickly unravelling as he loses control. “You… You can’t do that!”

The King ignores his words and turns his attention to the rest of the council. “All those in favour of removing Raphael for his manipulative behaviour, offensive language and out-dated views, say aye.”

Gadreel, Bartholomew and Naomi all look at each other, caught in a silent conversation as they debate what to do.

Gabriel nudges Bartholomew. “You don’t have to be afraid of him, you know. You can take all of his power away.”

Bartholomew nods, first hesitantly and then again, as though he’s made up his mind. He raises his head and announces to the room, “Aye!”

It causes a ripple effect of confidence, both Gadreel and Naomi nodding to each other and speaking up.

“Aye.”

“Aye.”

“ _Aye!_ ”

The King rolls his eyes at Balthazar who had screamed the final ‘aye’. “You’re not on the council, shut up.”

“I _could_ be.”

The King scoffs in amusement at Balthazar and then continues. “All those opposed?”

Uriel glances sideways at Raphael, wide eyed and bewildered, clearly knowing there’s no chance of them winning here. “Nay?”

“Looks like the ayes have it,” the King announces. “Raphael, you need to leave.”

Raphael stays rooted to the spot, murderous eyes drifting from the King to Castiel. His voice is lower now, dangerous, and it still manages to send a chill down Castiel’s spine when he says, “I won’t go quietly. You’ll have to _force_ me out of this council with every last guard you own.”

“That won’t be a problem,” the King glares. “Dean!”

Dean straightens up beside Castiel, glancing down at him as though to question if the King is being serious. Castiel just smirks up at him. This is their payback, a way to give Raphael exactly what he deserves after the way he has treated them; retribution for all of the evil alpha’s threats and manipulation.

So Dean smiles back, and presses a soft kiss to Castiel’s cheekbone before stalking over to where Raphael stands.

Raphael begins to cower as Dean approaches him, eyes darting around as though looking for some sort of help. When nobody comes to his rescue, he puts both hands up.

“I… I really don’t think this is necessary, I hardly – _argh!_ ”

Raphael’s sentence is cut short when Dean grabs his forearm and twists it up behind his back, pulling a cracking sound from Raphael’s body and making him shout out. The handcuffs still dangling from Dean’s wrist swing at the movement, hitting Raphael in the ribs and making him flinch.

“Get your dirty, fucking hands off me, filthy southerner!” he spits, uselessly fighting back against Dean’s grasp but failing to break free.

“Get him out of our sight, Dean,” the King orders.

“With pleasure,” Dean nods. He knees Raphael in the back to force him into action and then proceeds to march him towards the door. They pass Castiel on the way, and Dean tightens his hold on Raphael to make him stop.

Castiel looks at Dean with raised eyebrows.

Dean gestures towards Raphael, eyes communicating his thoughts as they flicker from Raphael to Castiel in silent challenge. Castiel’s eyes widen when he understands what Dean is trying to convey, and he can’t help the little smile that forms on his face.

He turns to face Raphael head on, looking him up and down to assess him. Dean has taught him where every last weak point on a person’s body is, and how each of them can be used against the person to make them suffer. Whilst Castiel does not consider himself a violent individual, he is a firm believer in justice and for someone as evil as Raphael, sometimes a bit of violence is necessary.

Castiel braces his feet against the floor to hold his balance, just like Dean had showed him all those months ago, and then brings his knee up, driving it right into the space between Raphael’s legs and sending him crumbling down with a pained cry.

Castiel grabs Raphael’s chin and yanks his face up, looking him dead in the eyes and snarling, “Don’t ever threaten me, my family or my alpha ever again, or I’ll have you hanged.”

Raphael gives no response, jaw clenched and breathing sharply through his nose as he tries to suppress any shouts of pain.

Dean pulls him upright again and continues to drag him towards the door, winking at Castiel as he does so.

Castiel smoothens down his wedding garments and fixes his tiara before peeking up. Everyone else in the room is staring at him with open mouths. Castiel is sure he looks quite a sight; attacking a fully grown alpha whilst dressed so delicately in pure, virgin white silk and precious jewels. His cheeks turn pink under everyone’s scrutiny of him.

“Wow, Cassie,” Gabriel finally says, looking slightly dazed. “You’re kind of a badass.”

“And completely inappropriate!” Uriel bursts out. He looks a little lost now without his demon sidekick, though it doesn’t seem to stop him from running his mouth as usual. “I refuse to sit on a council alongside this deranged bitch!”

“Fine. I’ll replace you as well, then,” the King snaps.

Uriel scoffs in disbelief. “And who would you have replace me, exactly? The _servant?_ You’re going to drive this council into the ground!”

“Actually,” the King says. “I was thinking of someone highly qualified who has been more than ready to join the council for a number of years now. Michael.”

Castiel turns to smile at his eldest brother, who is standing near the back of the group with widened eyes.

“R-really?” Michael says, a small smile gracing his lips. “Thank you.”

Uriel stares from the King, to Michael, to Castiel before throwing both hands in the air and standing up with such force that his chair goes flying backwards, hitting the ground with an aggressive thud. “Fine! I have no interest in watching this council fail any longer. Enjoy your sinking ship, _Your Majesty_.”

Uriel storms out of the room after Raphael, the door slamming behind him and leaving the rest of them in silence.

“Good riddance, eh?” Balthazar says, nudging the King in the ribs from where he still sits reclined in the head chair.

The King grunts. “Yes, well. Anyway, we’ve got other matters to discuss. Castiel, are you ready to make your motion?”

Castiel beams and gives an eager nod.

The new council sit around the table, the King kicking Balthazar off of his seat and leaving him to go and stand with Gabriel. Dean returns to the room, knuckles noticeably more bruised than they were before he left, and smiles as bright as the sun at the sight of Castiel with the council. He goes to stand with Gabriel and Balthazar, and Castiel smiles back at the three of them and blows them a kiss.

When all eyes turn to him, Castiel blinks and looks to his father for guidance. Whilst he’s seen a motion be made before, he’s unsure of how to follow the procedure by himself.

His father understands Castiel’s silent prompt and provides him with the first part. “I move to make a motion…”

Castiel nods gratefully, and then addresses the rest of the council. “I move to make a motion that omegas of royal blood are _not_ required to marry an alpha with a formal title, because in this day and age, there are other ways to build relationships with royal families that don’t include trading _people_. Does anybody second my motion?”

Every single person at the table follows up with an ‘Aye’, starting with the King, to Michael, and all the way around the rest of the council. The chain doesn’t stop there as Dean, Gabriel and Balthazar all give their own ‘Aye’s, and this time, the King allows them with a small smile.

“Well, the ‘ayes’ have it,” the King announces. “The law book will be corrected tomorrow. In the meantime, we’re going to need to cut this meeting short since I have about one hundred confused people out there who I need to speak to. The next official council meeting will take place on Wednesday. Thank you, everyone.”

The King is the first to stand, though before he leaves for the drawing room he says to Castiel, “I won’t be long, Castiel. Can we talk when I’m back?”

Castiel nods. They both know there are still many issues for them to sort out and despite Castiel’s current joy he is not going to get over his father’s behaviour these past few months very easily. But today has been a start, and for that he’s willing to hear his father out.

When the King leaves, Balthazar once again steals his seat and looks at Castiel with sparkling eyes. “You know, Cassie, there’s still a wedding and a priest out there. Does it give you and Dean any ideas? Maybe you could try out that new law of yours?”

Castiel raises his eyebrows and looks at Dean. It’d certainly be the wildly romantic end to this day that many people might be expecting, and whilst he’s overcome with giddiness and the love he feels for his protector, that doesn’t mean that it’s a good idea to go rushing into a marriage. Castiel is still young, and whilst he dreams of getting married and having babies with Dean one day, he understands that there are still many things for the two of them to do first.

So he gives Dean a gentle smile, which Dean returns along with a knowing glint in his eyes. The two of them have always shared a special connection this way, not needing to exchange words to know exactly how the other is feeling.

Castiel turns back to Balthazar. “Not today, Balthy. Dean and I will get married on our _own_ terms, whenever we’re ready. Besides, we couldn’t get married without Dean’s family being here, too.”

He stands up and takes Dean’s hands, squeezing them tight and pressing himself against the heat of Dean’s strong body. Dean’s eyes are soft, features finally relaxed after so long of being weighed down by stress. He suddenly looks younger, lighter, and more carefree than Castiel has ever seen him.

“I love you, Cas,” Dean murmurs.

“I love you, too.” Castiel tilts his chin up in invitation, accepting Dean’s gentle kiss and basking in the soothing warmth that spreads through his body.

A small chorus of ‘aww’s sounds out from behind him, and Castiel smiles against Dean’s lips. Maybe there is a God up there, after all.

X

Bartholomew, Gadreel and Naomi don’t hang around for very long after the meeting ends, though they are gracious enough to wish Castiel and Dean good luck and every happiness together before they leave. When they’re gone, the remaining five of the group wander out of the room at their own pace, having no real destination in mind and not caring in the slightest.

Benny is lurking in the hallway. He looks awkward and out of place, glancing around at the swarms of royals who have now begun to exit the drawing room. When he notices Dean and Castiel he appears to loosen up, and waits for them to approach him.

“Benny, I can’t thank you enough,” Dean says warmly when they reach him, pulling Benny into a hug and slapping him on the back with a solid hand. When Benny returns the gesture Castiel can’t help smirking; such a typical alpha display.

“Everything all worked out now, brother?” Benny asks when Dean pulls away.

“Yeah, we’re all good. The marriage laws are being re-written as soon as tomorrow which means no royal omega will have to marry an alpha with a title just for the sake of joining families. Cas made the motion himself.”

“Really?” Benny turns to Castiel, and offers him a polite but endearingly awkward nod. “Congratulations, Your Highness.”

“Thank you,” Castiel smiles. “And thank you so much for rescuing Dean today; without you I don’t think we would’ve stood a chance. If there’s anything I can do to repay you…”

Benny shakes his head dismissively. “Don’t worry about it. It’s enough for me knowing that my best friend and his omega are gonna be happy together. I’ll catch up with you later, Dean, I’ll let you two be alone.”

A man of a few words. Castiel and Dean smile after him as Benny begins to walk away, though he surprises them when he looks over his shoulder and smirks at Castiel.

“But hey, if you were offering… a pay rise wouldn’t go amiss.”

Castiel chuckles and nods. “I’ll get it sorted for you.”

Benny smiles his thanks, and then disappears into the crowd.

After Benny leaves, Michael, Gabriel and Balthazar catch up with them, all of them engaged in light-hearted banter.

“How does it feel, Gabe?” Balthazar teases. “Being the only Novak child to not be promoted today? Looks like someone definitely isn’t the favourite.”

“Are you kidding?” Gabriel scoffs. “Me, being on the council? I already have the best job in the world; I get to go travelling and drinking in other cities, _and_ I don’t have to sit in those dull meetings all the time. Michael and Cassie, you both have my most sincere condolences.”

Michael rolls his eyes, saying sarcastically, “Thank you, Gabriel. Your support means a lot.”

Gabriel looks to Castiel, laughter dying into something softer as he says, “How are you feeling now, Cassie?”

Castiel’s face splits into a grin, cheeks beginning to hurt from how much smiling he’s been doing since Dean burst into the wedding like his knight in shining armour earlier. “Kinda feel like I’m on top of the world right now.”

Gabriel pulls him into a hug, murmuring against his hair, “Again, I’m so sorry that it took me so long to get my head outta my ass.”

“Me too,” Michael adds. “You deserved better, Castiel. We’re going to try harder now, okay? We’ll be better brothers for you.”

Castiel reaches out with one arm to pull Michael into the embrace too, choosing to show his appreciation for his brothers through the tightness of his hug instead of words. His eyes brim with tears, sending a small prayer of thanks up to the skies.

“Um, not to try and sound like I’m _better_ than you guys or anything,” Balthazar interjects. “But I’ve been on board with this since day one. Hell, I knew even before Cassie and Dean that they were gonna be together.”

Castiel lets out a throaty laugh, and let’s go of his brothers to hug his best friend instead. “Thank you for always siding with me, Balthy, even when I’m sure I sounded like a lovesick crazy person.”

“You kinda did, sometimes,” Balthazar sniggers, before pulling back and impersonating him dramatically with a hand over his forehead like a typical damsel. “ _‘Oh, Balthy, Dean is so hot and sexy, whatever will I do? I’ll positively die if he doesn’t take me right now!’_ ”

Castiel blushes deeply and slaps Balthazar around the side of the head as the others laugh. “I did _not_ sound like that!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Balthazar winks. An idea suddenly occurs to him, and he reaches out to clutch Gabriel’s arm. “Hey, even though the wedding was cancelled, do you think the buffet will still be on?”

“Oh, man!” Gabriel moans. “Free food! See ya, Cassie, we’ve gotta run.”

At that, the three of them dash off. Castiel turns to Dean with cheeks still as red as a rose and stammers, “I… I promise I didn’t talk about you like that with Balthazar, I…”

Dean cuts him off with a laugh. “I think it’s cute, Cas. Believe me, I was kinda thinking similar things about you at the time.”

Castiel peeks up at him. “You were?”

“Not quite to the same effect, but Benny certainly got annoyed with my pining after a while.”

Castiel wraps both arms around Dean’s waist and leans against his chest, smiling. Though the embrace is cut short when Dean begins to pat his waist, making Castiel look up at him and then nodding at something behind him.

Castiel turns, and his stomach gives a little jump at the sight of his father picking his way through the groups of people still out in the hallway and walking over to them. When he reaches them, Dean squeezes Castiel’s hand and steps back to give the two of them space.

Castiel doesn’t want to be the one to say the first word, so he waits in silence for his father to begin.

His father’s forehead is creased, guilt written all over his features. He stands with his mouth slightly parted for several seconds as though he’s trying to decide how to construct his words.

“Castiel,” he starts, sighing heavily. “I owe you a very big apology.”

Castiel only nods, and waits for him to continue.

“I… I’m so sorry, Castiel. I was wrong and I treated you unfairly. I-I’ve never been the type to enthuse about omega rights before but when you were born I knew I wanted to make sure you had everything, and that you could do as much as possible. And maybe I’m not as forward thinking or brave as I thought I was but I’m going to work on that. I just wanted to give you the best life possible, and I was… led to believe that you couldn’t get that with Dean. But now I realise that having you marry an alpha who _I_ thought was right for you wouldn’t make _you_ happy. You’re not a child anymore, and I need to trust that you can make your own decisions.”

“You let Raphael bully you.”

“I… I did. I know I shouldn’t have but he was constantly there, saying these awful things but then providing answers when I personally had none, and the rest of the council were agreeing with him and I… I panicked. I thought _I_ was the one in the wrong because I was only one who thought differently.”

Castiel looks down at the floor. “You put all of your faith in the Gods and the people around you, but none of it actually in _you_.”

“I know. And that’s my problem, and I’m going to do my best to improve on it. I won’t let my insecurities or flaws affect you or your brothers like that again, Castiel. I’m not going to take away your freedom like that again because… you’re so strong. Stronger than most alphas I know, stronger than _me_. And you can make your own decisions just fine.”

Castiel smiles up at him, and gently squeezes his arm. “I know I can. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to come to you or Michael or Gabriel for advice from time to time. I _want_ you to have a say in what goes on my life, I just don’t want you to try and control it entirely.”

His father finally returns the smile, gentle and unsure. “Okay. You have my word.”

Castiel nods. After all that’s happened, he doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to go back to being the ‘Daddy’s Boy’ he once was. In a way, the whole debacle has been a positive thing for his personal growth. Without it, he doesn’t think he’d have learnt how to be so independent, or how to rely on his own instincts when everyone else had stopped believing in him, or how to remain hopeful when everything seemed to be crumbling down around him.

Of course, Castiel wishes he hadn’t lost these few months to arguments and anguish but now that it’s over, he is able to reflect on it. He’s grown as a person and whilst he’s still got much room for improvement, even he can see that he’s not the same spoilt teenager he was half a year ago who had too much blind faith and an inability to react with civility when someone disagreed with him.

He’s not saying he’s exactly an _angel_ now, but Castiel would like to think he’s better than he once was.

After he thanks his father, there are not many words left to be said between them. There will be many in the future, most likely when they scold each other during council meetings for being too much of a pushover or too crude. But for now, there’s nothing left to do but smile at each other and go their separate ways as his father excuses himself to talk to Castiel’s grandparents.

Castiel lets out a long sigh when Dean comes back to him, exhausted now that all of the tension from the day is finally drifting away.

“You wanna go somewhere quieter?” Dean murmurs in his ear.

Castiel smiles up at him, and takes his hand.

X

They stroll down deserted hallways of the castle together, both revelling in the peace and quiet away from the large groups of people still congregating downstairs. Castiel imagines that, as compensation for the guests who travelled here for essentially no reason, his father is still offering food and a reception for them to enjoy. Castiel doubts that he and Dean will make an appearance.

Castiel lets out a wide yawn as they walk, and Dean slows his pace for a moment to chuckle at him.

“Long day, huh?” he jokes.

“Kinda,” Castiel smirks back. “Didn’t exactly get much sleep last night, either.”

“Yeah, neither did I. Funnily enough, sitting tied up in a cell with ten guards watching you isn’t exactly relaxing.”

Castiel starts to drag his feet, slowing Dean down until he stops altogether. He takes pity on Castiel and pulls him into a hug, warmth encircling the two of them like a thick blanket.

“You wanna go and take a nap?” Castiel asks, voice muffled against Dean’s shirt but he makes no effort to move away.

“Mm,” Dean hums. “Maybe after I’ve taken a bath.”

“Maybe I’ll join you.” Castiel’s eyes skate down Dean’s body until they land on his wrist, and he snorts in amusement. “We should also probably get those handcuffs off you, too. Not that I don’t think it’s a good look.”

Dean shakes his wrist a little to jingle the cuffs and huffs out a laugh. “I guess we look like quite the unlikely pair today, don’t we?”

They both glance down at Castiel’s wedding garments, now dirty with Dean’s still slightly sooty handprints. Castiel doesn’t care that the outfit is ruined; he wears the evidence of Dean’s touch proudly and wouldn’t even swap it for a gown made of diamonds.

Castiel thinks over what Dean says. “I think that’s a good thing. It’s always the unlikely pairs that last the longest.”

“Is that something you learnt from all your romance books?”

Castiel nods. “I think I’ll give the romance novels a miss for a while, though. I don’t think I really appreciated the _stress_ of an angst-ridden love story until I lived one myself.”

Dean makes a soft noise of agreement. They allow the calmness of their surroundings to wash over them, basking in gentle strips of sunlight that poke through the huge window they stand beside. It’s mid-afternoon now, and the clouds have parted long enough for the sun to greet the world.

“Hey, look,” Dean suddenly says in a tender voice. “The snow’s starting to melt.”

Castiel glances over his own shoulder to see for himself. Dean’s right; the delicate shimmer of frost that has coated the trees for months has finally started to disappear, dangling icicles dripping water into puddles on the ground. The snow that blankets the grass is patchy now, exposing the ground beneath that calls out to the sun with a smile. The change in colour is a refreshing sight for Castiel’s eyes.

Spring must be on the way.

He must say that out loud because Dean agrees with him, pressing a kiss to the back of his head.

The snow has very much outstayed its welcome this year. It’s been a long season of dark nights and unpredictable storms, cold days and even colder people. Whilst Castiel is not usually a fan of the hotter weather he finds himself angling his face towards the warmth now, closing his eyes as he lets a ray of sunlight wash over him.

He smiles to himself, thinking that just for now, he can let himself enjoy the heat.

Because after all, it’s been one hell of a cold winter.

 

~ X ~

 

_The End_

 

♥

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well… we made it! (And I actually managed to wrap it up with a reference to the title, a challenge in it's own right.)
> 
> To be perfectly honest when I started this story I had no idea how I was going to end it; it turned out to be a lot more theatrical than intended but I hope I did it justice and that it didn’t disappoint!
> 
> If you’ve left a kudos or a comment, or if you subscribed to or bookmarked this story; thank you so much. Even after a year these messages don’t get old, and I am incredibly appreciative of each and every one. Nothing makes me happier than having these amazing comments to read when I wake up, when I get home from a long day or when writer’s block is getting me down and I’m looking for inspiration. It’s the best kind of motivation.
> 
> And a special thank you to those who have been following this fic chapter by chapter, leaving comments regularly. I always look forward to your messages, and I’m so glad you’ve made this journey with me.
> 
> I hope you’ve enjoyed reading as much as I’ve enjoyed writing.
> 
> As always, here is a [link to my tumblr](http://wingit-spn.tumblr.com/), and I'd love it if you found me on there because I'm always around for a chat! 
> 
> Thank you for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful night. ♥


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